


Purgatory's Mrs. Christmas Competition (or how the Earps found love)

by Bootsncatz (bootsncatz)



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fake Dating, Fake Marriage, Gen, Ice Skating Date, Nicole hates Christmas, Only One Bed, Waverly Bakes, Waverly just wants to win this dumb competition, Waverly loves Christmas, in love with your childhood friend, lots of tropes, non-binary Nicole, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:15:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28205214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bootsncatz/pseuds/Bootsncatz
Summary: Waverly's childhood crush, Nicole, is back in town just in time to distract her from the local baking competition she's desperate to win. But when Bunny reveals that all competitors must be married (it's in the name after all), Waverly blurts that Nicole is her spouse. Christmas shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 227
Kudos: 721





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Happy holiday season and all that jazz. Here is my humble contribution to the Christmas fic pool. I needed a bit of a brain break so decided to not stress myself out with pesky things like _plot_ and _planning_ and just write a super tropey super self indulgent fic. So here we are. Thank you for reading, I recommend enjoying it with some hot coco (maybe add a little peppermint schnapps if you're feeling it), and enjoy the ridiculousness. Thank you, Lucky, for beta-ing the shenanigans.

Waverly bit the tip of her tongue between her teeth, leaning forward as she carefully piped the chocolate design on the side of her cake. Her hands shook in concentration as she finished a swirl, sidestepping to continue the pattern. Just one more-

_Bang!_

The door slammed open and she jumped, the piping bag screeching across the frosting and making the final swirl on the bottom tier of her cake look more like an exclamation point. With frustrated growl, Waverly stood up quickly and looked for the source of the noise, her back aching from being hunched over for so long. Wynonna was hanging her winter coat up on a hook and slipping off her boots, sparing barely a glance at Waverly. 

“How is it that everyone in this town still fucking sucks?” Wynonna bemoaned, ripping off her scarf like it offended her and throwing it into a corner. “And it’s cold as Frosty’s taint out there.” She pointed at the little decorative snowman Waverly had placed near the door. “More Christmas decorations?”

Waverly sucked in her cheeks, hands on her hips. “Wynonna, do you want to ask why my otherwise perfect, four tiered Tiramisu Winter Wonderland Cake has a messed up curl on it?”

Wynonna frowned at Waverly like she was speaking a different language before looking at the cake on the counter beside her. It was beautiful, all four tiers covered in a white buttercream icing with cocoa powder designs on the top, and finished off with chocolate ganache swirls on the side. All perfect except for the _one_.

“What are you talking about? It looks great. But seriously, it looks like Christmas threw up in here.”

Waverly looked around at the lights and garland hanging along the walls. She had set up the Christmas tree in its usual spot next to the fireplace with the menstrangel on top, and the decorative pillows around the house switched out for more cheery wintery ones. Waverly always decorated the first day of December, it was one of her favorite holidays. There weren’t a lot of good childhood memories in the ol’ Earp rolodex, but Waverly always enjoyed spending the holidays with Wynonna, Gus and Shorty after-

Either way, she wasn’t interested in Wynonna’s Christmas cheer shaming.

Waverly pointed a stiff finger at the messed up chocolate. “Don’t slam doors open! Not when one of us is trying to perfect their bakes!”

“You watching those fancy baking shows again?” Wynonna said as she approached the kitchen, eyes on the cake. “That’s dinner then?”

With a sigh, Waverly just handed her a knife and opened the cupboard to get a couple of plates, but mostly to hide her blush since she knew she was about to do some heavy lying. “Just a...town thing.”

Wynonna plunged the knife into the cake, cutting an awkwardly crooked piece and setting it on a plate. “What kinda thing?”

“Just a thing they do,” Waverly shrugged. “Every year.”

“Must be a big deal if you’re practicing. This is like the fifth thing you’ve baked this week,” Wynonna cut an even bigger piece for herself. 

“I just want to win,” Waverly said dismissively, hoping Wynonna didn’t probe any further. It was a bit embarrassing, what she was willingly getting herself into. But it was necessary. 

For revenge.

“Holy shit!” Wynonna moaned around her fork, shocking Waverly once more. “This is amazing, Waves- wait, is this for that weird Stepford wives competition that the town used to do? Is that still happening? PETA or whatever didn’t shut it down?”

Waverly’s blush only got darker. 

“No,” Waverly tried, but knew she was caught. Wynonna just looked at her with an arched eyebrow and Waverly sighed. “Yes. The Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition.”

“Gross. _Why?_ Doesn’t Bunny win every year anyways?” Wynonna had bits of crumb and icing on the corners of her mouth as she sat down at one of the kitchen chairs, shoveling cake into her mouth. “And what even is the prize at the end? You ride in the Purgatory ‘parade’?”

Her air quotes made her intentions perfectly clear.

Waverly bristled at the mention of Bunny. For years Waverly had tried to get along with her. It was practical, after all, she ran most of the town (unofficially), and dealing with her was unavoidable. Especially for Waverly since she helped Gus run Shorty’s where town events always seemed to congregate. Being the outgoing, town loving (and people pleasing) person she was, Waverly always threw herself into these town events. Well, at least she _had_.

Being head cheerleader and Homecoming Queen in high school really cemented her as “Waverly Earp, town darling”, which was only proven by her nomination and subsequent winning of the “Nicest Person in Purgatory” title. But her interest in these town events waned as she got into her college courses. Even if they were just online they took up some time. She didn’t think Bunny of all people would hold some kind of weird grudge about it. But if Bunny’s reaction to Waverly trying to sign up for the Summertime Sweetheart Pie Bake was any indication, she was bitter.

“She does,” Waverly said, stabbing her cake a little too intensely. “But that’s just because I have never entered. Until this year.”

Wynonna pointed her fork at Waverly. “There’s something you’re not telling me. Just because I’ve only been here for a year doesn’t mean that I’m an idiot. You’re still my sister.”

The tension in Waverly’s shoulders tightened a little and she bit the inside of her cheek as she looked down at her cake, taking longer than necessary to get some on her fork. Things had gotten better between her and Wynonna since she’d gotten back from...wherever she had been. Waverly never really got the full story. Wynonna had come back to town for Uncle Curtis’ funeral and just never left, instead staying behind and fixing up the old Homestead with Waverly. She licked her lips and leaned against the back of her chair as she looked up at Wynonna.

“Why this year?” Wynonna asked.

Waverly let out a long sigh. “Because she wouldn’t let me participate in the Summertime Sweetheart Pie Bake.” Wynonna just blinked at her. “She said I didn’t qualify because I tried to enter a vegan pie. But I’m going to win this competition and make Bunny eat her own words.”

Wynonna smiled. “I want to make fun of you for joining this, but also I’m proud of you for sticking it to Bunny. How can I help?”

“I’m not _sticking_ it to Bunny, just reminding her why she should be more inclusive,” Waverly tried to shrug it off but Wynonna just smirked wider.

“Totally sticking it to her.”

Waverly just gestured towards the cake. “Besides the weird swirl, what do you think?”

“You’re gonna mop the floor with Bunny,” Wynonna said. Waverly couldn’t help but agree. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“I thought this was dinner,” Waverly said.

“Well the cake made me hungry,” Wynonna complained, pulling out her phone. “Take out?”

“Fine.”

Wynonna scrunched up her face in thought as she looked up at Waverly. “I feel like there was something I was supposed to tell you. But I can’t remember.” She shrugged. “Must not have been important.”

***

Waverly was in a deep sleep when she woke up unexpectedly. She groaned to herself as she lay in her bed, a cocoon of blankets around her securely, wondering why she’d woken up so suddenly. 

Then she heard it.

It sounded like someone was closing the downstairs door, and there was some rustling downstairs. 

Waverly’s eyes popped open, blood freezing in her veins as she strained to hear the noises better. Someone was definitely at the front door. And they were way too quiet to be Wynonna after sneaking out to a bar in the middle of the night like she did sometimes.

She sat up in the bed, regretting her choice of just a silky nightshirt and matching sleep shorts. But the adrenaline and worry running through her nerves made her forget the cold for a moment as she quietly slipped out of bed.

Waverly grabbed her shotgun out from under the bed and switched off the safety, holding it in front of her towards her closed door. She just heard more shuffling downstairs so she slipped out of her bedroom as quietly as she could and looked down the stairs into the inky darkness. 

Still she couldn’t see anything, the stairs just looked like they descended into a void. With the way the front door was positioned Waverly couldn’t see it from the top so she just started slowly walking down the steps. 

_”Fuck,”_ came a whispered curse near the door. Waverly quietly turned towards the door as she got to the bottom of the steps and noticed a tall shadowed figure standing there. They looked bulky, moving in the darkness in a way Waverly couldn’t make out without light. Shotgun trained on the figure, blood and adrenaline rushing through her ears, Waverly cocked the gun loudly and the figure jumped.

“Hands up, shit ticket!” Waverly growled at the intruder. “I got a shell with your name on it.”

“Waverly?” came a somewhat familiar voice through the dark. Waverly couldn’t quite put her finger on it and she kept the gun trained on the intruder. It wasn’t like it was a good trick to know her name when they lived in a small town anyways.

There was a deep chuckle and the figure reached for something, flicking on the light by the door before Waverly could respond. 

She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light and nearly dropped her shotgun when she recognized the tall, red headed figure standing in front of her, shrugging a winter jacket off their shoulders.

“Nicole,” Waverly breathed out, almost in awe.

Nicole Haught hadn’t been back to Purgatory in eight years (not that Waverly was counting) and besides some little interactions on social media, Waverly hadn’t talked to her- them. She remembered Nicole’s only post in the last few years that said they were changing their pronouns. It was accompanied by a picture of Nicole with hair cut shockingly short, hair shaved on both sides of their head but just long enough on top that Waverly could still imagine running her fingers through it.

Before that, their social media had been mostly them traveling, rock climbing, hiking...doing all the things Waverly wished she could do. Most of them were just scenery but once in a while Nicole would grace the picture with their presence. Some pictures were of a mysterious woman, generally with a non-committal caption that still always made Waverly’s heart sink a little, even all those years later. But she never asked Wynonna what Nicole’s relationship status was even though she knew they still talked.

“Waves?” Nicole said with a charming, crooked smile. Their hair had grown out and now rested along their jaw, and they were more filled out than the gangly teen Waverly remembered. Her eyes followed the strong line of their jaw, down to their neck and where their collarbone just barely peeked out from under their cranberry colored sweater. Nicole cleared their throat and Waverly quickly looked back up at their amused face. “It’s been a while. You’re uh-. Grown.”

Their eyebrows arched into their hairline and Waverly didn’t miss the way that Nicole’s eyes flitted down her body. She suddenly felt ridiculous in her pajamas. It was cold. What if her nipples were showing? Was Nicole staring at her chest?

“Eight years,” Waverly said, shotgun still trained on Nicole even as her palms started to feel sweaty and Nicole started to walk towards her. Nicole raised an eyebrow and Waverly blushed deeper. “I think.”

“Are you going to shoot me or can I get a hug or something?” Nicole teased with that damn charming smile. Waverly felt all her adolescent infatuation bubbling up again and her heart fluttered to her throat, just making her frown harder at Nicole. Suddenly she felt like a kid again, knobby kneed and desperately hoping for Nicole to notice her when it seemed like all they were interested in was hanging out with Wynonna and riding motorcycles or whatever.

“Depends, why are you here?” Waverly asked. “You can’t just show up at people’s places in the middle of the night unannounced after _eight_ years. I don’t know you anymore, you could be a murderer or something.”

“So no hug?” Nicole laughed and Waverly felt her stomach flip. “I’m not a murderer, Waverly, come on. Didn’t Wynonna tell you I was coming?”

As if waiting for her cue, Wynonna pushed back the curtain that separated her room from the rest of the house. Blurry eyed and hair a mess, it looked like she just took off her top layer of clothing before stumbling into bed. 

“Oh, right, Haught Dog is coming by,” Wynonna gave Waverly a single finger gun and a wink before turning back towards her room. “Glad that’s sorted out. Night, nerds.”

“Wynonna!” Waverly yelled just as the curtain shut again. 

“So, uh, sorry to barge in like this,” Nicole said. “I talked to Wynonna a while ago she said I could come stay here.”

Waverly turned her attention back to them and finally lowered the shotgun, switching the safety back on. Nothing like your childhood crush standing at your door in the middle of the night to make you feel self conscious. 

“How long are you here for?” Waverly asked, awkwardly crossing one arm over her chest. 

Nicole looked away and licked their lips. “Uh, not long.” They pointed at the couch. “I’ll just crash here, yeah?”

“Um-“

Nicole picked up a backpack by their feet and threw it over their shoulder. 

“Don’t worry I won’t keep you awake,” Nicole said. “I’ll find blankets and stuff.”

That was all they said before slipping past Waverly in the narrow hallway and into the living room where the couch was. Waverly would have protested but there was a thick blanket on the back of the couch that Waverly knew would keep them warm, and she still felt painfully exposed in her pajamas. Plus the whole thing felt surreal, probably because it was happening at four in the morning. It could be a dream for all she figured. 

But the distinct smell of vanilla dipped donuts that swept over Waverly as Nicole passed her was too real to be a dream. She could remember how that scent would make her knees buckle as a prepubescent teen when Nicole seemed so much older and wiser and hotter. Even if they were only a few years older. 

Nicole didn’t even look back at Waverly as they sat on the couch and began rummaging through their backpack. Waverly looked at the back of their head a little harshly before turning and going back up the stairs. 

When she got back to her bedroom, Waverly quickly slipped back between the covers and texted Wynonna.

_I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Nicole was going to be here._

Waverly didn’t expect Wynonna to answer so she set her phone on the nightstand and tried to get comfortable. Her phone buzzed next to her and she quickly looked at Wynonna’s text.

_Didn’t you have a massive crush on them?_

With a scandalized gasp, Waverly put her phone back onto the nightstand. It was true but Wynonna didn’t have to just _say it_ like that. It wasn’t as if Waverly still had a crush on them, she hadn’t seen Nicole in forever. It would be juvenile. But Nicole was just as beautiful as they’d always been. 

As soon as the comfort of her bed wrapped around her, Waverly felt sleep drifting over her again.

***

Waverly stared into her closet, pulling her hair over her shoulder and raking her fingers through the locks. She glanced down at the black skirt she had slipped on and listened to the muffled talking coming from the downstairs, which just reminded her that it wasn’t just a weird dream she had last night where Nicole showed up in the middle of the night. 

She reached for a fluffy blue Christmas sweater and slipped it on before heading out of her room. The sooner she got downstairs, the sooner she could figure out _that_ situation. How long was Nicole here for? Why were they here? Why had Waverly not been able to stop thinking about them since they walked in?

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Nicole and Wynonna were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, their legs crossed over each other, watching some weird cartoon on television while shoveling cereal into their mouths. Waverly frowned, neither of them even acknowledging her as she came down the stairs. 

“Uh, hello?” Waverly said, hands on her hips.

Nicole looked away from the television and smiled at Waverly, nearly stopping her in her tracks. “Oh, morning, Waves,” they gestured at the cereal bowl. “Want some cereal? Wynonna had the idea to put some of your cake in it, it’s delicious.”

Waverly had to look away under Nicole's attention and headed into the kitchen. “So, Nicole, why are you here?”

“Jeez, Waverly, you can’t just _ask_ someone why they’re eating cereal in your living room,” Wynonna deadpanned. 

“I just decided to come by,” Nicole said dismissively, shoveling a big bite of cereal and cake into their mouth. Waverly watched a little too closely as Nicole’s tongue poked out of the side of their mouth to collect a crumb. 

Waverly caught Wynonna’s eyes from the kitchen and she subtly shook her head with a hard look. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the cabinets to get her thermos for some tea. Just like when they were kids. Left out again. Whatever, Waverly was going to focus on the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition and not let herself get distracted by childish crushes that apparently never went away. She just quietly made herself tea and put it in the thermos, sneaking a look in her shoulder every now and then just to see what Wynonna and Nicole were doing. Well. Mostly Nicole.

She had to get out of there.

“I’m going into town,” she announced loudly. “To sign up for the competition.”

“Do you get a husband if you win?” Wynonna said. “A good, god fearing boy, if Bunny has anything to do with it.”

“Very funny, Wynonna,” Waverly said, ears tinting.

“Wait, Nic has to go to town too,” Wynonna said, kicking Nicole’s foot off the couch. “Take them with you.”

Nicole retaliated by kicking both of Wynonna’s feet off the couch. They looked up at Waverly sweetly. “If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great. Wynonna was supposed to take me but clearly she’s trying to get rid of me.”

“Clingy,” Wynonna said. 

Waverly felt her brain short circuit at the idea of spending the half hour drive in the car with just Nicole. Talk about a recipe for disaster. 

“Oh,” Waverly said. She looked at Wynonna. “Sure you don’t need to come too?”

“Positive,” Wynonna said. 

“Alright,” Nicole said, standing up from the couch. Waverly noticed for the first time that Nicole was just in boxer briefs and a sweatshirt. They snatched Wynonna’s bowl from her hands and took them both to the kitchen. “Just one second, Waves.”

Waverly tried to pull her eyes away from Nicole’s ass and keep it respectful. “How are you not freezing?”

Nicole looked down at themself and back at Waverly with a smirk. “Were you cold in that little thing you were wearing last night?”

It felt like Waverly was standing in a furnace. A furnace of embarrassment under Nicole’s teasing. 

“Just let me get dressed,” Nicole grabbed their backpack and went into the bathroom, smiling at Waverly as they closed the door. 

“So you still have the hots for Haught,” Wynonna said, as she stood up and stretched. 

“No, I don’t,” Waverly said reflexively. Was there any point denying it at this point? “Why are they here?”

“Just cause, I guess,” Wynonna said as she awkwardly crossed her arms. 

“You’re a terrible liar, Wynonna.”

Nicole came out of the bathroom and Waverly couldn’t help but notice how the deep blue of their Henley and matching flannel accentuated their eyes and hair. 

“R-ready?” Waverly said. She had to learn to not be a mess around Nicole. They had never been interested in her, there was no reason to believe that they would now just because she’d outgrown her training bras. Plus, Waverly still knew nothing about their life recently except that she had seen a consistent woman in Nicole’s photos that she had to assume was their girlfriend. 

“Yeah,” Nicole said, as they tossed their backpack near the couch. She watched as Nicole pulled a battered legal envelope out of their bag and stuffed it under their arm. “Ready when you are.”

Waverly turned around just as she saw Nicole begin to smile, to spare herself that sort of torture. She walked out of the house and to her Jeep, Nicole close behind. They were shrugging on their thick brown winter coat as they walked up to the car, taking a look at the red Jeep.

“Is this the best car for a place that’s cold as fuck half of the year?” Nicole said, looking at the car’s soft top. Waverly watched how their dark eyebrow arched skeptically as they looked at it, and she sent them a look.

“It’s just fine, you’ll see,” Waverly said as they both got into the car. The air that blasted out of the vents was basically as cold as the outside and Nicole looked at Waverly with an unreadable look on their face as the cold air blew their hair back.

“I’m not convinced.”

“You’ll see!” Waverly argued as she pulled out of the Homestead. By the time they got to the road that led to the Homestead, the air was hot and Nicole turned it down.

“Okay, you proved your point,” Nicole chuckled. 

Waverly felt the nerves coursing through her veins like adrenaline. Nicole was in a car with her. Fine. Someone she hadn’t actually talked to in years, it shouldn’t be this hard to have a conversation with them. But every time Waverly looked at them they felt their tongue grow thick and heart beat so loudly she could hardly hear her own thoughts. The silence felt worse though, the air thick with nerves as Waverly quickly glanced over at Nicole who was just staring out the window.

She rolled her shoulders. This was ridiculous, she was a smart, capable young woman! She could have a conversation with someone she had a crush on years ago.

“So how have you doing?” Waverly nearly swallowed her own tongue. “How have you _been_ doing, I mean.”

Waverly wanted to die.

“I’ve been, uh, fine,” Nicole looked at Waverly before quickly looking away. Waverly watched out of the corner of her eye as Nicole rubbed the back of their neck before looking back towards Waverly. “You know just _finding_ myself or whatever. What about you?”

Waverly couldn’t help but laugh. “Not much,” Waverly said, suddenly forgetting everything that she had done in the four years since high school had ended. “Well, I’ve been here. Mostly. I got my degree.”

“In what?” Nicole asked.

Waverly smiled in embarrassment. “Ancient languages. I know it’s kind of pointless-”

“No, that’s amazing,” Nicole enthused. “You’ve always been the smartest person in this town, Waves.”

Waverly blushed under Nicole’s praise, smiling so widely that her eyes turned to half moons. “Really? I mean, no, it’s whatever. Not really that useful in a small town.”

“Who cares, it’s something you love. That’s what matters,” Nicole said. “Plus, you’re not going to stay here forever, are you?”

Waverly felt her stomach drop in shame as she shrugged. “I guess.”

People always told her she was still young, but Waverly felt time slipping away from her and her dreams of adventure felt more and more far fetched. She decided to deflect instead.

“What about you? You’ve been all around I noticed,” Waverly cursed herself almost immediately. She didn’t want Nicole to know she’d been scrolling through their pictures every now and then. “Not that I’ve _noticed_ or whatever-. Well I guess I did, just not in a weird-”

Waverly let out a long breath and looked over at Nicole who just had an amused smile on their face as they gazed out the window. Their profile should be in a museum. In France.

She focused on the road and tried again. “It looked fun.”

“It was pretty fun,” Nicole said. “Met a lot of interesting people. Saw a bunch of stuff. I’m sure Wynonna told you about our time in Greece.”

Yes, in fact Wynonna had told Waverly too much about Greece. She told her all about the hot people Nicole and her were slaying all across the countryside. Images Waverly wished she could get out of her mind for many reasons. Especially when her dating life the last four years had been about as fertile as the Sahara. 

“So why’d you come back?” Waverly blurted. 

Nicole’s head rolled along the backrest so that they could look at her. They smirked at Waverly. “What? Already want me gone, Earp?”

Waverly blushed. “No! I mean- no.”

“I don’t know, seems like you’re not too happy I’m here,” Nicole said. 

With an offended gasp, Waverly playfully hit Nicole’s thigh and they laughed as they batted her hand away. 

“Ow, stop, you’re so strong now,” Nicole said. 

“I’ve always been strong. You’ve just probably gotten weaker,” Waverly teased. It felt like whatever the awkward bubble they’d been walking around in had finally popped. And even if she still had a major crush on Nicole that, unfortunately, didn’t seem to be reciprocated or going away, at least Waverly could pine and be friendly at the same time. 

“Your boyfriend must be terrified of you,” Nicole joked as they rubbed the spot on their thigh where Waverly hit. She blushed and threw Nicole a look.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Waverly said.

“Girlfriend?”

Waverly blushed even deeper. “No.”

“Special friend?”

Waverly wondered how many more ways Nicole would make her spell out ‘painfully single’. It wasn’t as if she didn’t _want_ to date, it was just a small town. Limited dating options.

“I dated Beth for a little bit,” Waverly said, looking over at Nicole to gage their reaction. They seemed nonplussed, trying to cross one leg over the other in the small space.

“What about Chump?”

“Champ?”

“Same difference,” Nicole smiled, looking over at Waverly. “You were all about that guy for a while. You said you were going to marry him.”

“Well, I grew up,” Waverly said. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of Champ and shook her head. “I got over him. But we did date for a long time, actually, but he was just not right for me. What about you?”

Nicole hummed and Waverly could feel their eyes on her for a while but when she turned from the road to look, Nicole’s gaze was back out the window. 

“Uh, you know, not really focusing on relationships much, I guess,” Nicole said dismissively. Waverly wanted to point out that according to Nicole’s social media (which Waverly absolutely did not keep an eye on) they seemed to have a new girl everywhere they went. Or at least someone that wanted to be their girl. For a few months it was even the same woman in all the pictures, which reeked of a relationship.

“So tell me about this contest you’re doing,” Nicole said as they tried to spread their legs out a little. Their long limbs knocked against the bottom of the dash and Waverly bit back a laugh. 

“It’s just a baking contest,” Waverly said. Playing it off continued to seem to be the right idea. She knew it was silly but it didn’t make her want it any less. Since completing her degrees, Waverly had felt a little listless. She got her degree in the mail the day before Uncle Curtis died and still hadn’t taken it out of the box. Then Wynonna came into town for the funeral and never left, everything else had just kind of become a wash. This year had just been working at Shorty’s and adjusting to life with Wynonna again; all potential plans of going out and making something of herself seemed to fade into the background. And yes, it was a dumb contest, but at least she’d have _something_.

“Is baking a new thing for you?” Nicole asked. “You never used to bake.”

“It’s a fairly new hobby, yes.”

Like just within the last few months when she heard about the contest sort of new hobby. As the town buildings slowly started to grow in the distance, Nicole pulled a red beanie out of their back pocket and pulled it down over their head, some red hair getting in their eyes. Waverly nearly ran a stop sign when she got distracted by long fingers pushing red hair away from their face.

They ducked to get a better look out the window and huffed. “God, I forgot how much this town loved Christmas,” they practically spat.

The town was done up to the nines for Christmas. There were lights strung along the light posts going up and down the streets, each post covered in its own red and white paper to make it look like a candy cane. It hadn’t snowed yet, but Waverly couldn’t wait for the layer of snow to cover the town in a whilte blanket fitting of the holiday.

Every store had its own decorations out front, making the seasonal cheer completely unavoidable.

“It’s nice!” Waverly said. She looked over at Nicole. “I don’t remember you hating Christmas.”

Nicole shrugged. “It’s never really been my thing.” They turned to look at Waverly. “Can you drop me at the post office?” Nicole asked sweetly. “I won’t be long. I’ll come meet you wherever you’ll be. Maybe we can get some coffee?”

“That sounds great. I’ll be at city hall,” Waverly’s stomach flipped pleasantly at the idea of ‘getting coffee’ with Nicole. It sounded innocent, but Waverly decided that she was definitely into spending as much time with Nicole as possible.

She pulled over and let Nicole out near the post office. Nicole gave Waverly a small salute before looking up and down the street and ducking into the post office. Waverly couldn’t help but sigh to herself with a smile, eyes falling to Nicole’s ass for a moment, before driving away in a cloud of her own embarrassment.

If someone had asked Waverly just yesterday if her childhood crush coming back into town would make her a hormonal mess, she would have denied it. Yet here she was.

City Hall was on the other end of the town and Waverly pulled into a spot near it, eying a sign that said ‘Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition Signups!’ Fueled by confidence and revenge, Waverly got out of her car and marched into City Hall. The inside was just as immaculately decorated as the outside, figurines and fake snow blanketing almost every surface, with a big decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the lobby. In front of it was a little table, Bunny sitting haughtily behind it with a clipboard. There were a few other people milling about, mostly the older women about town that always entered into these competitions. 

Waverly smiled brightly as she walked up to Bunny, pushing some brown hair over her ear as she tried not to wilt under Bunny’s gaze. She threw smiles at the women loitering around the area, probably gossiping with each other like they usually did. Waverly saw Bunny’s closest knit group of friends all standing in a circle, looking at Waverly briefly before turning back and whispering to each other.

“Hello, Bunny,” Waverly said sweetly. She looked down at Bunny’s sweater that was a gaudy shade of red with two sparkly green wreaths on it that Waverly was almost positive were supposed to be boobs, just as she was almost positive Bunny had no idea about the double entendre.

“Hello, Waverly.” Bunny’s smile looked like a predator about to consume a small beast. “How have you been? It’s just been so long since I’ve seen you around town. Oh, and look at your outfit, so cute! Hope you’re not hot since it’s a lot of clothing compared to what you usually wear to work.”

Waverly kept her smile in place even as irritation made her eye twitch. “You mean my uniform? For Shorty’s?”

“Is that what they’re calling it?” Bunny laughed like everyone was in on the joke and Waverly just kept smiling through the petty “compliments”. “Well, anyways, dear, what can I help you with?”

“I’m here to sign up for the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition,” Waverly said cheerfully before reaching for the large, sparkly Christmas pen on the table that had feathers on the end with little elves sticking out of the top on a spring. Bunny quickly snatched the pen just before Waverly could pick it up. The muttering of the women around them just made Waverly’s nerves worse.

Bunny’s mouth pulled into a sour look, “For what?”

“I’m here to sign up for the competition,” Waverly repeated, smile still in place. 

She watched on in horror as Bunny’s lips pulled up into a terrifying grin. “I’m sorry, dear, that’s simply not possible.” 

Waverly felt her eyebrow twitch. “Why is that?”

“Well this year, the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition is celebrating its centennial by going back to the _original_ rules of the competition. Which clearly state that all participants must be married.”

Bunny looked so smug as she delivered the news and Waverly felt the heat rising into her face as her blood boiled. Still, she continued smiling.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, sweetie,” Bunny picked up the clipboard and looked it over before looking back up at Waverly. “All participants _must_ be married. It used to be a tradition since baking in public while unmarried seemed lewd for the time. But, I really think it’s time to bring some of these traditions back, don’t you?”

Waverly felt like the gears in her brain were popping off and her ears were spewing steam. “Bunny, you and I both know that I’ve entered contests like this around town my whole life. Can’t you just make an exception to such an… _old_ and outdated rule?”

Bunny laughed so high that Waverly flinched. “Sweetie, you don’t really expect us to go back on a _hundred_ years of tradition just because you’ve been too busy in your books and walking around half naked to get a husband.”

Waverly was _sure_ there was steam coming out of her ears now. Bunny had the _audacity_ to enforce a bullshit sexist rule that was so outdated it was actually offensive. Not to mention her straight up insulting her! It made Waverly more determined than ever to enter the contest. Especially with the way Bunny’s dark eyes blinked up at her too gleefully. 

“Well, Bunny, forgive me for being more interested in my own education than an outdated patriarchal institution. Now, I’ll just-” Waverly smiled as she reached for the pen again. If she could just get her name on the list, even Bunny was too uptight to take someone off an official list. Bunny clutched the pen and clipboard to her bosoms, apparently triggering something that made the sweater light up along the neck and sleeves.

“I’m afraid it’s impossible, Miss Earp,” Bunny said, still smiling. “Unless you’re married, it’s simply impossible to-

“I am married,” Waverly blurted angrily. She felt the heat rising from her collar and up her neck at her blatant lie. But she set her jaw and just decided to go with it. The gossipers around her started chirping amongst themselves. “I am a...wife. So if you please.”

She reached for the pen again and Bunny looked pointedly at her left hand that was decidedly missing a ring. Waverly jerked her hand back and looked at her.

“Married to who, dear? This is a small town I can’t believe I wouldn’t have heard that Waverly _Earp_ was married.

Waverly could feel the contest slipping through her fingers and desperation prickled like sweat along the back of her neck. She looked around the room as if something - some _one_ would help her. Then she saw Nicole walking in, nose in their phone, and blurted without thinking.

“I’m married to them!” Waverly pointed her finger at Nicole who was now sitting in a chair near the entrance, slouched down in the chair with their feet spread out wide in front of them. They continued to fiddle with their phone and Waverly looked back at Bunny who seemed unconvinced.

“You’re married to him?” Bunny said, raising an eyebrow as she gazed over at Nicole.

“Yes, I’m married to _them_ ,” Waverly said, crossing her arms in front of her chest as her heart hammered. She had to get out of here. She reached for the pen again but Bunny held onto it tight. Waverly tried not to stamp her foot in anger, instead crossing her arms over her chest.

“Now I’m not saying I don’t believe you, dear,” Bunny smiled so widely her eyes disappeared. “I’m just saying that what are the chances one of our own would get married and we didn’t hear about it?”

“I can prove-” Waverly looked over at Nicole who looked just as disinterested as before, clearly not even listening to the conversation. Which was fair since they were a few yards away. Waverly shifted awkwardly and called to her. “H-hey, babe?”

Nicole continued to mess with their phone, moving just to set one foot on top of the other. Waverly looked over at Bunny who looked like the cat that caught the canary, so smug. It made Waverly blood boil even more. She looked back over at Nicole and called louder.

“Babe!” she said, voice saccharine sweet and sing songy. That’s how married couples were, right? In love all the time. Still, Nicole remained oblivious. Waverly sighed and yelled, “Nicole!” 

Nicole jumped and looked over at Waverly, dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It made Waverly swoon even across the lobby. Waverly gestured for them to come over and Nicole obliged, thick brown boots echoing as they slapped on the marble of the city hall lobby floor. They shoved their hands in their pockets and gave Bunny an awkward smile before looking back at Waverly.

“You rang?” Nicole said.

“Yes, _dear_ ,” Waverly took Nicole by the arm and brought them close so that their bodies were squished together, side by side, with Waverly’s arm through Nicole’s. Goosebumps erupted over Waverly’s body at Nicole being so close, the smell of vanilla permeating her senses and making her a little woozy. She looked up at Nicole, eyes pleading with them to see what was happening. “I was just telling Bunny how we were _married_ so it was silly of her to try and keep me from entering the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition.”

Nicole just blinked at her for a moment before realization slowly bloomed over their features, and Waverly let out a small sigh of relief. They looked over at Bunny, cheeks pink.

“Oh, right, yeah,” Nicole said. “We’re uh - married.”

Bunny squinted up at Nicole. “Nicole? As in Nicole Haught? The hooligan who liked to run around with Wynonna Earp?”

“That’s me,” Nicole’s smile looked strained. “Nice to see you again, Bunny.”

“I heard you were acting like a _man_ now,” Bunny said, looking Nicole up and down. “You know, like those liberal folks do.”

“Bunny,” Waverly said quickly. “Now that you’ve seen my spouse, can I please just sign up?”

Bunny’s attention turned back to Waverly, occasionally flickering over to Nicole like they were some kind of attraction at a fair. She felt Nicole fidgeting next to her and squeezed their arm extra tight.

“Apparently the _law_ is now saying anyone can marry anyone so legally I can’t deny you entry,” Bunny said, moodily setting the clipboard and pen back down. “But this is a legally binding contract saying you can produce a marriage certificate if need be.”

“Oh course,” Waverly brought back her wide, charming smile and quickly jotted her name down on the form, never letting go of Nicole’s arm. 

Bunny was still staring at Nicole and Waverly wanted to get them out of there as soon as possible. But unfortunately it wasn’t fast enough because Bunny said, “You know, you’re such a pretty girl. If you just dressed like it-”

Waverly slammed the pen back down on the table, making Bunny and her posse jump. She smiled at the reaction, pulling Nicole’s arm across her chest. “Competition starts tomorrow, right, Bunny?”

“Yep,” Bunny said, eyes bouncing so quickly between the two Waverly was sure she might make herself dizzy.

“Great, then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Waverly said as she walked out of city hall, Nicole close by her side. She was hyper aware of each point of their bodies that was touching right now, her mind a jumbled mess as they walked back out to the Jeep. She silently cursed herself for making such a stupid, spur of the moment declaration. And with the person she had a stupid, massive crush on. Good one, Waverly. 

They didn’t talk until they got back into the Jeep and Nicole looked over at Waverly with an amused smile. 

“So...married?” 

Waverly groaned in embarrassment and dropped her head onto the steering wheel. “Freaking Bunny.”

“What happened there?” Nicole turned as much in their seat as they could to look at Waverly, dimples popping on her cheeks. Waverly felt like her face was on fire so she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head to try and hide from Nicole. But they quickly pulled the hood back down. “Or is this when you tell me I’m suffering from amnesia and don’t remember our love story but you’re hoping the magic of Christmas will bring it back? Because I do think that’s a movie-”

“I’m sorry!” It felt like Waverly’s embarrassment was pushing the words from her mouth haphazardly, falling fast and far out of her control. “Bunny was being a real turd and said I had to be married to enter the contest and she was being _really_ mean about it! Basically called me a floozy to my face, I couldn’t just _let_ her get her way because she hates me for whatever reason. Even if I’ve only been nice to her-”

“Hey, Waves,” Nicole’s voice pierced through the fog of Waverly’s brain when she felt Nicole’s hand over her own. Waverly blinked, looking down at where Nicole’s hand rested over own. They felt warm, and she realized how cold hers were. She looked up and was taken aback by Nicole’s eyes for a moment. They were leaning forward on the center console a little and Waverly felt like she could just fall into their deep brown eyes. She swallowed thickly when Nicole smiled and said with a chuckle, “Breathe. It’s alright, just tell me what happened.”

Waverly wanted to reach forward and cup Nicole’s face so instead she picked at a loose string on her steering wheel. She took a deep breath and tried not to think about how royally fudged up the idea of being fake married to her crush was.

“I panicked. Bunny decided that everyone in the contest had to be married so I lied and said I was married and when she asked me who I just- well I saw you sitting there so-,” Waverly tipped her head back against the seat. ”I panicked.”

“Hey, this isn't that bad-”

“But what a ridiculous idea.” Waverly opened her eyes to see Nicole’s brow wrinkle ever so slightly before they bounced back and their mouth twitched in a smile. 

“I mean, it’s not _that_ ridiculous,” Nicole chuckled. “Right? Unless-”

Waverly felt like swallowing her own tongue. 

“No, I mean. Wouldn’t it be? I haven’t seen you in-”

“Eight years, right,” Nicole said. They licked their lips and pulled their hand away from Waverly’s. She rejected the impulse to reach back for it and put both hands on her thighs instead. 

“I’m sure this is the last thing you wanted to do with your time here. Lying about being married to me,” Waverly said as her heart sunk. “Not that you have to. I can tell Bunny it was all a misunderstanding if you want, it’s not a big deal, I just wasn’t thinking.”

Nicole shrugged, crooked smile on their lips as they played with a ring on their thumb. “I mean, I don’t have anything else to do. Might as well pretend to be your spouse.”

Waverly’s body flooded with relief and absolute panic at the same time. “Alright then,” she said, turning on the car.

Nicole tilted their head. “What exactly do I have to do? I’m not a good baker. I should tell you that.”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Waverly squinted. “I don’t think. The different categories and stuff will be coming through tonight. But you shouldn’t have to do anything.”

“You know, honey, I’m a little disappointed you didn’t ask me permission before entering the weird baking competition,” Nicole teased as they slipped their seatbelt on. “Now, come on, little lady, time for me to buy my ball and chain a tea.”

Waverly sighed but still felt a smile twitch at the corners of her lips. Something about Nicole calling her those ridiculous names, even in jest, felt sort of...nice. So she groaned to herself and started the car. This was going to be a disaster.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly. It feels weird posting this today when a bunch of piss babies are trying to stage a coupe in my country. But writing has given me a few minutes of much needed zen today so maybe this can give ya'll a few minutes of reprieve to give your brain a break. 
> 
> Thank you to Lucky for betaing. Also really sorry this is going slower than normal with the posting, the ball of spaghetti in my skull hasn't been cooperating lately. Thank you for your patience. Stay safe. <3

“Wynonna?” 

Waverly frowned at her unusually quiet sister who was just staring between her and Nicole.  
“I’m just processing,” Wynonna said as she leaned back against the couch. “And a little offended you two got married and didn’t tell me.”

“You know this isn’t real, Wynonna,” Nicole said. They looked over at Waverly briefly and back down at their hands. They sat on the armchair next to the couch, hunched over their knees with their elbows resting on them. They kept fiddling with their thumb ring, and Waverly found it mesmerizing.

“This might be the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard,” Wynonna said seriously. “Which is very impressive. I have serious doubts about you two being able to pull this off, so yes, I’ll help.”

“We don’t need your help,” Waverly said, quickly looking away from Nicole’s hands. “That actually sounds like a terrible idea.”

“I agree,” Nicole said.

Wynonna scoffed, frowning at Nicole. “Look at you. Our relationship is already changing. You’re siding with the wife.”

“No, I’m just saying that your brand of chaos sometimes can make situations worse than they need to be,” Nicole said. “It is one of my favorite, most Wynonna things about you. But right now, maybe let’s keep it manageable. I don’t want to draw more attention to this situation.”

Waverly nodded in agreement but her heart throbbed in pain for a moment. She should have known Nicole would be embarrassed about the situation. Waverly, personally, thought that dating your best friend’s younger sister wasn’t _that_ embarrassing, but whatever. Maybe it was because she was just some nerd tied to her hometown, and not worldly and mature like Nicole. 

“Fine, but you better have your story straight,” Wynonna said.

“What if we say we’ve been in a long distance relationship and you surprised me for Christmas and we tied the knot,” Waverly sighed. “Simple. Easy.” Definitely not something Waverly had pondered on happening in real life once or twice.

“Sure, there, see?” Nicole said, smiling up at her. “I knew Waverly would have this under control. As long as I don’t have to do anything crazy or Christmas-y, I’m happy.”

“Please tell me Haught has to wear an elf outfit,” Wynonna whispered at Waverly.

Waverly ignored Wynonna and leaned on the arm of the couch closer to Nicole. She kicked their boot playfully and smiled at them. “I still am not over this hating Christmas thing.”

Nicole, still looking down at their hands, smiled in a way that made Waverly’s chest hurt. They looked up at her and winked. “You’re welcome to try and change my mind.”

Waverly blushed, stomach flipping in excitement as she tried to bite back the face splitting grin that was threatening to take over. “Really?”

“Yeah, sure. Won’t be easy though,” Nicole said.

“I think you’ll see I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Waverly said, crossing her legs and setting her elbow on the armrest so she could rest her head in her hand. It was easy flirting with Nicole. Maybe a little too easy. It was just so fun and if they were supposed to be fake married then who cared. 

“Ugh, at least you have the flirting part down,” Wynonna muttered as she stood up from the couch. 

Waverly opened her mouth to say something but her phone rang in her pocket. She let her frustration with Wynonna go, sighing loudly as she swiped to answer without looking. 

“Hello?” she said, frustration hanging on every letter.

“Waverly Earp,” Gus said. “I cannot believe that you didn’t tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Waverly said, distracted as she watched Nicole stand up from the chair and stretch their arms over their head. 

“That yer _married_!” Gus said.

Waverly focused back on the phone call. Oh no. She turned around on the couch to lean over the back, waving to get Wynonna’s attention as Gus prattled on.

“I mean, I know you’ve been spending a lot more time out there on the Homestead now that yer sister is back. But honey, I’m so happy for you. So proud. Curtis would be so proud, he always liked Nicole-”

Wynonna finally noticed her and stopped, eyes wide and hands splayed in confusion. Waverly pointed towards the phone and mouthed, ‘Gus’. Wynonna continued to shake her head. Waverly finally put Gus on mute.

“Gus knows! Or think she knows, that I’m married. Who even told her??” Waverly whispered. “I was going to tell her the truth but she seems so happy!”

“Baby girl, this town is connected to one gossip phone line. Everyone probably knew you were ‘married’-” Wynonna did air quotes, “-before you even left the town.”

“Balls,” Waverly sighed, unmuting the phone just as Gus finished rambling.

“An’ I know yer uncle would _love_ if you brought Nicole over to do the tree decorating,” Gus said with a small emotional sniffle.

“Uh, sure, Aunt Gus,” Waverly sighed.

“Great. I’ll make cookies,” Gus said. “See you at four!”

“At four-?” Waverly managed just as Gus hung up.

She turned back to Nicole who just had an amused look on their face, clearly having overheard at least part of the conversation. “I told Gus I’d help her decorate her Christmas tree later, why don’t you come?”

Wynonna’s head poked out around the wall of the kitchen. “Gus asked you to come over?”

“Yes,” Waverly said, without thinking. 

Wynonna blinked at her for a moment and it hit her straight in the gut. 

“She didn’t ask for, I don’t know, anyone else?”

“You should come with us,” Waverly said. 

Wynonna ducked back into the kitchen. “Maybe. If I’m not busy.”

“Please?” Waverly called.

“Fine,” Wynonna said.

“Great.”

Nicole had their eyebrow raised at her, and she just shrugged. “What?”

“Nothing,” Nicole said, looking down at their phone. “What level of married do you want?”

Waverly coughed in surprise and blinked at her. “I what- what do you mean?”

“I mean like,” Nicole looked up from their phone as they thought. “Scale of one to ten, ten being Morticia and Gomez Addams, what level of married couple should we be for your aunt?”

Waverly’s cheeks were probably as red as the bulbs on the tree, this point. “I uh-” Her brain was short circuiting as she thought about the implication of the question. She imagined Nicole in a dapper pinstripe suit, dipping Waverly into a romantic, toe curling kiss. She shook her head and looked back at Nicole who was still waiting for an answer.

“Uh- I mean-,” Waverly could barely answer the question, what made her think she could be _that_ level of fake intimate with Nicole? “Maybe like a...mid-level.”

“So like a George Amal situation. Cute. Respectable. Got it,” Nicole said as they stood up again. “I’m going to go put on my parent impressing clothes.”

Waverly watched as Nicole picked up their backpack and walked it back into the bathroom. As soon as the lock clicked, Wynonna barked out one loud sarcastic laugh. Waverly just lay down on the cough with a groan. At least things couldn’t get worse. Right?

***

They idled in front of Gus’ house, the old Jeep rumbling under them loudly.

“Can we go in now?” Waverly said, looking into the rear view mirror to where Wynonna was sitting with an unreadable expression on her face. Things had been tense between her and Gus for well— about as long as their Daddy had been gone.

It was no secret that Wynonna was a difficult kid, not unexpected of a child who loses their mother, sister _and_ father, the latter by her own hand. Gus hadn’t been ready to deal with Wynonna, especially not when Waverly was so easy, because her trauma had manifested in a fear of taking up space, which actually made her an excellent child. Wynonna was the opposite, brash and begging to be noticed. She was crying for help, but all the adults around her saw was a nose for trouble and not much potential, so it was easy to write her off.

Needless to say, her relationship with Gus hadn’t improved much over the years, but she was the only family they had left.

“Alright,” Wynonna pulled herself out of the backseat, squeezing between the two front seats and over Nicole’s lap.

“Ow! What the hell, Wynonna!” Nicole tried to push Wynonna away but she kept climbing over them towards the door, finally releasing herself and jumping out of the Jeep. Nicole got out after her and pushed her shoulder. Wynonna wasted no time turning back around and somehow jumping onto Nicole’s back, her arm around their neck in a chokehold. 

“Hey!” Waverly quickly got out of the car, slamming her door shut. “Stop it, you two! How old are you?” 

Nicole stopped clawing at Wynonna’s arm around their neck, cheeks turning red as they stood up straight. Wynonna’s feet dangled a good few inches from the ground until she finally let go of Nicole’s neck with a grunt.

“Thank you,” Waverly said.

Nicole adjusted the beanie on their head and gave Waverly an apologetic smile that made butterflies erupt in her chest.

“Sorry.” Nicole winked at her just as she was taking a step onto the porch, and Waverly’s boot caught on the edge. She squeaked and fell forward, stumbling and sure she was going to smash into the ground as she plummeted closer and closer towards it. At the last second, she felt an arm around her waist, pulling her back up to her feet. Waverly blinked in surprise, clutching onto the arm in front of her before she looked up to see Nicole smiling at her in amusement. Her back was completely pressed to their front and it felt like her entire body was on fire.

“Oh.”

“You okay?” Nicole asked with a soft chuckle. “You nearly ate it there.”

“I’m fine,” Waverly smiled, fluttering her eyelashes. They smelled like vanilla and it made her dizzy. Nicole felt strong and steady against her back, but their curves were soft and welcoming and-

The front door opened and Waverly quickly jumped away from Nicole on instinct, cheeks red.

“Gus!” she said with a manic smile. 

Gus looked at Wynonna who was standing awkwardly by the door. “Wynonna,” she greeted roughly. She moved on moved to Waverly with a smile but when her eyes landed on Nicole, it was as if someone just told her she won the lottery. “ _Waverly_ , I see you brought your new wife. Nicole, welcome to the family.”

“Spouse, Aunt Gus,” Waverly corrected. But it fell on deaf ears. Nicole looked at her, both confused and a little scared, when Gus rushed up to them and began to fuss.

“Come on in, girl, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you! And to find out you and our Waverly reconnected.” Gus had her hands on Nicole’s shoulders, looking them completely over. “You’ve gotten so _tall_ , come inside.”

Nicole gave Waverly one last desperate look before Gus swept them into the house. Wynonna snorted from the porch, hands deep in her leather jacket. 

“How does it feel to not be the favorite anymore?”

“I didn’t realize she would be _this_ excited about us,” Waverly sighed. “I was hoping she would be indifferent and I could just tell her the truth.”

“I’m going in, because while we’re out here, I’m sure Gus is misgendering Nicole left and right,” Wynonna said before walking into the house. Waverly quickly followed behind.

The smell of baking practically slapped Waverly in the face as she stepped inside. There were Christmas lights covering every surface and fake snow on top of that. There were so many little Christmas tchotchkes around the place that the house could have been a hospital gift store. The only surface left undecorated was the tree itself. 

In the kitchen, Waverly saw Nicole sitting at the table, nodding along politely to whatever it was Gus was saying. Quickly hanging her coat up, Waverly hurried over to where Nicole looked at her with wide eyes, a cookie hanging out of their mouth and two more in their hands.There were sheet pans of cookies all over the kitchen. Gus had lost it.

Gus handed Nicole another cookie. “Now, tell me, this one has more ginger in it. But I think I like number three the best.”

“Aunt Gus,” Waverly said, taking the cookies from Nicole’s hands and setting them on a plate on the table. “What’s going on here?”

“Nicole is helping me decide which recipe is better,” Gus said. “I forgot which one I use. Curtis used to be the one to help me so I’m lost this year.” She turned back to Nicole who still had the cookie half in their mouth. “Well, come on, girl, eat up.”

“Gus,” Waverly hissed, taking her arm and turning her away from Nicole. Brown eyes caught Waverly’s, almost pleading with a slight shake of their head before Waverly looked back at Gus. “Nicole is non-binary. Okay? No gendered terms. Please.”

Gus’ brow furrowed. “What does that even mean? I swear, you kids’n your new terms-”

“This isn’t a fad or whatever,” Waverly said. “You don’t have to understand it, just respect it. Okay? Nicole uses ‘they’, not ‘she’.”

“They is plural, dear,” Gus chuckled.

Waverly felt the small flame of irritation heat the back of her neck and she clenched her fists. “If you love me and you like Nicole, you’ll do this.”

Gus rolled her eyes but then smiled her matronly smile at Waverly that told her she was done with this discussion. “I’ll do my best, dear. I promise, okay? You just have to give an old woman a second to get used to these things.”

“Can you be nice to Wynonna too, please?” Waverly said with her hands on her hips. She didn’t realize her patience was this thin today, but now that she’d started she didn’t know if she could stop. “She’s your niece too.”

Gus turned red. “Now listen here, girl, what is your problem today?”

“ _My_ problem,” Waverly scoffed. “I-”

“Number two!” Nicole exclaimed, stopping Waverly in her tracks. Nicole was sitting there, holding one of the cookies next to their face with an almost desperate smile. “Number two is the best, Mrs. McCready.”

Waverly felt all the anger in her chest dissipate mostly because she was distracted, but also because a strand of red hair had escaped Nicole’s beanie and stuck out at an odd angle on the side of their head in a way that was so endearing-

“You know, I thought that was the one,” Gus said, giving Nicole a wink. “You got the Gibson taste.”

“I’m taking Nicole back,” Waverly said. She reached for their hand and pulled them from the chair, intent on getting Nicole out of there. “Where are the tree decorations?” 

“Out back in the shed,” Gus said. She was pouring alcohol into a pitcher of eggnog that looked like it was about to be more liquor than anything. “They were too heavy for me. Curtis usually got them.” She looked back at Nicole with a grin. “Nicole looks nice and strong. Maybe you can help us?”

“I’ll get them,” Nicole said with a chuckle. 

“Oh, thank you. They’re labeled. You can’t miss them.”

Nicole gave Waverly a grateful smile and a wiggle of their eyebrows as they ducked out of the kitchen. They always managed to turn Waverly’s brain upside down with just a small smile or any sort of acknowledgement. 

“You know, I still can’t believe you two finally found each other again. And that I had to hear it from Peg,” Gus said, as she poured herself a mug of eggnog. “Mostly I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“It was all very sudden,” Waverly pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and contemplated just telling Gus the truth. She was a bit of a blabber mouth around Shorty’s sometimes. Plus, honestly, Waverly hadn’t seen her this happy since before Curtis died. She was sure there was something to be said about it being Waverly getting _married_ that made Gus this happy, but Waverly would unpack that later. “You know how it is. Childhood crush comes into town. They’re somehow even hotter than they used to be and, woo, sparks, you know? Then you’re eloping without telling anyone.”

“Nicole looks good. Filled out,” Gus said. “Always was a bean pole, that one. You know, I really am glad you two finally got together.”

“Finally?” Waverly said as she poured herself a cup of eggnog for herself and Wynonna.

“I know the age gap was a bit much when you were younger, but I don’t know, I always kinda thought,” Gus mused as she walked into the living room. Waverly followed close behind, wondering what about awkwardly hanging out around Nicole and Wynonna while they reluctantly included her told Gus that they were meant to be together forever. 

Nicole pushed open the back door with their back, big box in their arms and nose red from the cold. It really was a nice sight, Nicole back here with them. But she didn’t want to get used to it.

They set down the box of ornaments and flopped onto the couch next to Wynonna. As soon as they were sitting, Gus brought them a cup of eggnog and set a plate of cookies down on the coffee table. 

“Thank you for getting those, sweetheart,” Gus said with a smile.

Wynonna scoffed and Gus fixed her with a look. Waverly quickly intercepted, pointing at the box of ornaments.

“Should we get started?” Waverly said, as she sat down on the floor next to the box. 

The eggnog made the whole night a little bit easier, Gus and Wynonna finally relaxing around each other enough to decorate the tree without incident. Nicole sat on the couch watching the whole odd affair. Every once in a while Waverly’s eyes would catch their’s, and it prickled at her skin, making her hyper aware of herself. She could feel Nicole’s eyes on her, or at least thought she did, and it made her neck sweaty with nerves. But not in an entirely unpleasant way. The more she drank, the more she let herself entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, Nicole might be looking at her in a more than friendly way? Maybe?

What a ridiculous thought that was.

When all the ornaments were finally on the tree and the lights strung around it, Gus went to the dresser besides the couch and pulled something out of the drawer.

“With it bein’ so close to Christmas an’ all, they didn’t have many options left. But, I got you two this,” Gus handed Waverly an ornament and Nicole stood up to stand beside her. It was a little plaster thing with an orange cat and a white cat sitting in a wreath shaped like a heart, a ribbon along the bottom with their names written on it in cursive writing and the date under that. 

Waverly’s heart tugged in her chest and Nicole leaned a little over Waverly’s shoulder, their front lightly pressing to Waverly’s shoulder as they leaned forward to point at the orange cat. “That one’s me.”

“Obviously,” Waverly teased, leaning back into Nicole a little. They stumbled a little off balance and their hand fell to Waverly’s hip to steady themself. Waverly resisted every urge to lean more into them. Maybe bury her nose in their soft looking flannel.

“Well, put it on the tree you dingus’,” Wynonna said from her spot on the couch. She frowned, brow furrowing in thought as she mused. “Din...gi? Waverly you’re the nerd here, what’s the plural for dingus?”

Gus hushed her quickly.

Nicole turned towards Wynonna, but Waverly quickly wrapped her arm around the front of their waist to pull their attention back away from Wynonna. Only bad things happened when they bickered. Nicole looked at Waverly’s arm around their waist and she almost pulled away in embarrassment, but Nicole’s arm around her shoulders kept her in place. Nicole looked down at her and squeezed her shoulders.

Waverly’s breath caught in her throat when she saw how the colorful lights strung along the Christmas tree reflected perfectly in their eyes, shining bright and making them impossibly beautiful.

“Wanna pick where we put the ornament?” Nicole said softly. 

Waverly’s whole body felt flush, blood rushing through her ears at the closeness of Nicole and the way that warm vanilla drifted up her nostrils. She quickly just put the ornament on the nearest empty branch, hoping Nicole couldn’t see the way her hand shook in nerves.

“Wait wait, let me get a picture of you two,” Gus said, pulling out her phone. Nicole’s fingers tapped awkwardly on Waverly’s shoulder and she reached up to squeeze their hand.

“One,” Waverly said, smiling at the camera.

Gus gave her a look. “Then at least act like you like each other. Come on Nicole, hold Waverly from behind.”

“Gus!” Waverly said, she opened her mouth to argue, sure that would be the most embarrassing situation possible. But her jaw snapped shut as Nicole pulled Waverly against their front, arms loose around her waist. 

“This okay?” Nicole asked, mouth close to Waverly’s ear. 

She swallowed thickly, nodding as she set her hands over Nicole’s arm. She licked her lips and tried to get her words to work. “It’s like Prom all over again.”

“Ugh, you went with _Champ_ , didn’t you?” Nicole scoffed. “Gross.”

“How do you know who I went to Prom with?” Waverly tilted her head back a little just to squint at Nicole. She saw their cheeks blush.

“Hey, I pay attention to social media,” Nicole mumbled, squeezing Waverly lightly. 

“At least I didn’t go with _Stephanie_ ,” Waverly said. She didn’t realize that she was still bitter about that until this moment. “You just wanted to get laid.”

Nicole gasped and squeezed Waverly a little firmer, but not unpleasantly. “Hey! I didn’t-! She was very...nice.”

Waverly tipped her head back in a full laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement. “You don’t have to lie, Nicole, you were just horny.”

“That’s it,” Nicole said, as they twirled Waverly around. Waverly looked at them with a frown, even more confused when they bent down in front of her. But it all made sense when Nicole wrapped their arms around her thighs and stood, picking Waverly up and throwing her over their shoulder.

“Nicole!” Waverly wiggled, trying to get out of her grip but mostly thinking about how Nicole’s hands were on the back of her thighs and - _wow_ \- they were so strong. And she could just stare straight at their ass-

“No, take it back,” Nicole said. 

“This never worked before, why would it now?” Waverly said as she lightly tapped on Nicole’s back. She thought back to all the times those years ago when Nicole would do the same thing. If they thought Waverly was being difficult or were just feeling especially rowdy they’d throw her over their shoulder until they were satisfied. It would never not be frustrating...but also maybe Waverly was...differently frustrated by now. 

But she couldn’t let Nicole know. 

“Just let Gus get the picture,” Waverly said. She kicked her legs and Nicole just chuckled. 

“I already got it, dear,” Gus said. Already disinterested from her armchair in front of the fire. 

Waverly huffed. “Put. Me. Down.”

“Say please, sweetheart,” Nicole’s voice was dripping in sickly put on sweetness and Waverly loved it. 

Still she pretended to be put out. “Please, _baby._ ”

What was surprising was the throb between her legs at calling Nicole ‘baby’.

Nicole set Waverly back down and she quickly smoothed down the front of her sweater, fixing Nicole with a withering look. Those damn dimples made it hard to keep up appearances.

“Oh these are cute,” Gus said, still looking at her phone. “I’m going to send these to y’all. Nicole, what’s your phone number?”

Waverly sat down on the couch as Nicole talked to Gus. Wynonna shook her head. 

“Gus totally is trying to steal Nicole from you. Better nip that in the bud.”

“Very funny.”

“By the way, this flirting is getting out of control. I thought you were going to bone right here in front of Gus.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Waverly hissed at her. Wynonna just finished off her eggnog with a loud, satisfied sigh. 

“Denial,” she said, before standing up from the couch with a burp. “I’m getting more eggnog.”

***

After Gus’ (where she made Nicole try about a dozen more cookies and also made them take an awkward friends and family photoshoot in front of the tree), Waverly drove everyone back to the Homestead where they all sort of shuffled off to bed, sleepy from too much eggnog. 

Waverly was just settling in to read when her phone pinged with a new email. The romance novel was quickly forgotten when she saw the rule document for the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition, but only one paragraph in she gasped in horror. 

Grabbing her robe, Waverly quickly wrapped it around herself as she cursed under her breath, her bare feet padding down the stairs. Not even thinking, Waverly squeezed to sit down on the couch next to Nicole’s sleeping form. 

“Nicole,” Waverly whispered.

The thick flannel blanket they’d found was pulled all the way up to their chin, red hair flopped over their face but Waverly could still see how their cheek was cutely squished awkwardly into the pillow. 

“ _Nicole_ ,” Waverly tried again.

They groaned and turned their face a little further into the pillow, long arm coming out and waving around blindly. Waverly batted at the rogue limb that eventually settled across her lap. She wiggled uncomfortably, suddenly hyper aware of her short pajamas that really didn’t leave much to the imagination. 

She shifted a little bit but Nicole’s grip just got tighter, nose nestled against Waverly’s hip. Waverly started to stand. “Nevermind, I’ll tell you in the morning.” 

“No, you woke me up,” Nicole said. Their voice was rough in their chest and Waverly swore she could feel it rumbling against her thigh. “Jus’ tell me now.”

“Fine,” Waverly swallowed thickly. 

Eyes still closed, Nicole scooted over on the couch and somehow pulled Waverly down on the couch besides them, flat on her back. 

“Uh-”

“You’re so small,” Nicole mumbled with a deep sigh.

“Okay, well,” Waverly took a deep breath and decided to just get it over with and go back upstairs where she could spontaneously combust in peace. “I may have been wrong in telling you that you didn’t have to participate in this Christmas contest and you...might-have-to-go-with-me-to-all-the-competitions. Okay, night!”

Waverly got up to leave again but Nicole kept her in place. “Mmkay,” they mumbled. “Jus’ stay here, you’re warm.”

It felt like a hot blanket had been laid over Waverly’s body, nerves taking over her stomach as she tried to decide between giving in to this very sleepy, very cute, very delirious person or fleeing to her bedroom where she could overanalyze every second of this situation.

Nicole moved so that they could lift up their blanket and Waverly quickly slipped under it, eager to get into the warmth. She felt Nicole’s ankle immediately hook over her own and knew she was trapped. Not that she minded, necessarily. Especially when Nicole got comfortable with their arm around Waverly’s hip and chin on her shoulder. Waverly swallowed thickly. Was this considered taking advantage of Nicole if they were too tired and sleepy to realize what they were doing?

“Tell me wha’ I ‘ave to do,” Nicole whispered, their breath tickling the shell of Waverly's ear. 

“Just be there,” Waverly said. In truth she hadn’t finished reading exactly what Nicole needed to do but it couldn’t be _that_ involved. The warmth of Nicole’s body and the blanket and just the sheer feeling of being held made Waverly’s eyes droop with sleep. 

“Okay, wifey,” Nicole yawned before their breathing evened out again. 

“Ridiculous,” Waverly said as she drifted to sleep with a smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, I hope you're keeping well. Here are some dumb queers with the humble offerings of their own ridiculous antics to distract you for a few moments. Thank you to Lucky for beta-ing and thank ya'll for all your lovely comments. I'm glad you're still enjoying some Christmas fun even in January.

“Wake up, Haught!”

All the wind was knocked out of Waverly as a heavy weight fell directly onto her body. She groaned, still a little delirious from sleep as she attempted to push at the weight on top of her. 

“Wynonna, _stop_ ,” Nicole hissed.

Waverly felt the weight gone and heard a ’thump’ on the ground. She grumbled to herself and rolled over into Nicole’s chest, pressing her nose into their sternum and squeezing her eyes shut. She was just conscious enough to know if she kept pretending to be asleep, she could stay cuddled up to Nicole.

“Haught Sauce where did you find a girl-? Is that my _sister_?”

“Shut _up_ ,” Nicole said. “Just get out of here! Why are you up so early?”

“ _She_ called.”

Waverly’s ears perked in interest and she tried to quiet her own breathing so she could hear their whispering back and forth.

“Why did she call _you_?”

“Why aren’t you answering her calls?”

“That’s my business.”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying. Back here a day and already boning Waves right under my nose-”

“You know we’re not. Just get out of here before you wake her up.”

Waverly could hear Wynonna’s footsteps getting further away and felt Nicole relax back down on the couch. Waverly could already feel an awkward crick in her back from sleeping on the cramped couch all night, but she could also feel her entire body pressed to the front of Nicole’s and well, it was kinda worth it. 

Nicole’s arm tightened around Waverly and she felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips as her nose pressed into Nicole’s soft cotton shirt. She marveled how easy sleep seemed to come last night and again this morning, just before she slid back off to sleep.

***

“So how long is this going to take?” Nicole asked, hands deep in the pockets of their dark jeans. They looked out of the front window of the car up to the Purgatory Rec Center, an unreadable expression on their face. 

Waverly felt terrible for making them do this. Clearly the thought of spending an extended period of time with Waverly was making them make _that_ face. She tried not to take it personally, but honestly after this morning she had hoped there’d be a better reaction. 

Nicole gently woke her up and Waverly pretended she’d absolutely slept until then and hadn’t heard about some mysterious woman calling Nicole. They smiled charmingly down at Waverly with a ‘good morning, wife’ and a teasing wink before getting up from the couch. It was so much colder without them. 

“Shouldn’t be long.” Waverly gave them an apologetic smile and Nicole leaned back in their seat, leg bouncing. She wanted to lean forward and put her hand on their knee but folded her hands in her lap instead. 

She looked down at herself and felt a wave of embarrassment. They had said to dress in festive attire and, well, this was her festive attire. The red velvet of her Christmas skirt was trimmed with white fluff and topped with a thick black belt. She had a cream colored sweater tucked into the high waisted skirt and her hair tied back into a braid with jingle bell earrings to top it off. She just felt wildly over festive when Nicole was wearing dark jeans and a plaid with their heavy brown jacket over it. Not the least bit festive at all. Though she was sure if she tried to shove Nicole into something Christmasy they’d revolt. 

Nicole looked behind them before quickly scrambling out of the car. Waverly frowned, she really knew how to chase a person away. But she watched as Nicole ran around the car and pulled open her door with a flourish. 

“Come on, we can at least get a drink first.” Nicole tilted their head towards Shorty’s. 

“Nicole! It’s nine in the morning!”

“Well you serve coffee too, right?” Nicole said. “Come on, let me buy my girl a drink. Then we can be all happy and married for Bunny.”

Waverly’s brain was caught on the ‘my girl’. It was a bit presumptuous and sexist, and she liked it when it came out of Nicole’s lips. At least when directed at her. It made her mouth a little dry and heat spread a little lower than she was willing to admit. The cold gust of air that rushed into the car when Nicole opened her door and offered her their hand snapped her back into the present. 

“M’ lady,” Nicole teased, dimples deep.

Waverly took their hand and slid out of the car, blushing a little when her earrings jingled as she moved. 

Nicole laced their fingers together and Waverly felt lightheaded. 

“Do we have-?”

“We have plenty of time,” Nicole said. They shut Waverly’s door and tugged her across the street by the hand. They went into Shorty’s and Waverly reluctantly dropped Nicole’s hand as they walked up to the bar. 

Rosita spotted them and smiled as they slid into the seats across from her. She looked not so subtly between Nicole and Waverly, obvious curiosity in her eyes. 

“Hey, Waves,” Rosita said. Her eyes fluttered over to Nicole. “I mean I didn’t expect an invitation to the wedding being an ex and all-“

Nicole’s ears perking was practically visible as they sat up a little straighter, and Waverly blushed. 

“-but damn, girl, you work fast.” Rosita waved her hand and pointed at Waverly. “You, girl.” She then pointed at Nicole. “Not _you_ , girl. Don’t worry, unless you live under a rock, there’s no one in Purgatory that doesn’t know all of your business.”

Nicole sighed. “Fun.”

Waverly set her hand on Nicole’s knee without thinking and squeezed. Nicole’s hand slid over her own and Waverly felt a heatwave of emotions in her chest. 

“Let’s go back to the ex thing though,” Nicole said, quickly waving off whatever fog had rolled over their face for a moment. They leaned an elbow on the table, head on their fist as they smiled at Rosita who looked just as charmed, leaning her hip against the bar and leaning towards Nicole. “How long did you two date for?”

“Rosie, you don’t have to answer that,” Waverly said. She desperately hoped Rosita listened, but she just shrugged. 

“Depends what you consider dating,” Rosita said with a tilt of her head. “I guess it was mostly a ‘friends with benefits’ situation.”

Nicole smirked, their eyebrow arching into their hairline as they looked at Waverly, who could only sputter. They looked back at Rosita as they reached for the wallet in the inside pocket of their jacket.

“You have been very helpful here, Rosie. Can I get a cappuccino and an herbal tea to go, please?” Nicole said a little too flirtatiously. 

Rosita wiggled her eyebrows at Waverly before going off to get their drinks. Nicole’s fingers lightly wrapped around Waverly’s wrist and tugged her off of the stool and between their legs. Brown eyes smiled down at her and her hands naturally landed on Nicole’s upper thighs, blunt nails scratching absently at the rough denim. 

Nicole’s ability to go from awkward newly acquainted friend to loving spouse threw Waverly off of her axis every time. It left her lightheaded and heart aching for more. She knew with each little touch she felt a little more daring in how far she would let herself go. Maybe holding Nicole just a little longer or taking her hand more often than needed.

Nicole’s fingers came up and brushed against Waverly’s jaw, up to the shell of her ear. Waverly willed herself to breathe but Nicole’s head was bent so close. It felt like whiplash going between Nicole being ‘normal’ sweet and reserved, and ‘spouse’ Nicole in public where they openly flirted with her. She was honestly shocked that Nicole seemed so...into it.

They bent down and whispered close to Waverly’s ear. “Ex? Should we make her jealous? Are you still into her?”

Nicole’s nose brushed just behind Waverly’s ear and the grip she held on Nicole’s thighs tightened. “No,” Waverly whispered back, leaning a little into Nicole’s front. “It was a long time ago.”

“Good,” Nicole’s lips brushed against the sensitive skin of Waverly’s neck and she shivered just as Nicole pulled away. They wrapped an arm around Waverly’s back and hugged her close, which she gladly gave into. Her arms wrapped fully around Nicole’s torso. It was the full body hug she had been craving since the night Nicole came to the Homestead, but Waverly had been too embarrassed to give in to. It was just as great as she imagined and while her heart was melting into a warm pile of goo as she breathed in Nicole’s vanilla scent right from the source, she tried to keep it cool on the outside. Just cool and casual. Though it was almost certain that Nicole could feel how her heart was hammering against her ribs. 

Waverly swore she felt Nicole kiss the top of her head just as Rosita came back around with their drinks. “Here you are, lovebirds.”

“Thanks,” Nicole said, as they slid a bill onto the counter before Waverly could stop them. She huffed in protest and pulled away to reach for her wallet but Nicole stopped her in her tracks with a simple kiss on the forehead. “I told you I’d buy, baby.”

Waverly quickly grabbed her drink and spun around towards the door to hopefully hide her blush just as Wynonna strode into the bar. Their eyes locked and Wynonna looked caught. Probably because she had told Waverly earlier that she was planning on sleeping for at least three more hours. 

“Wynonna, you’re late!” Rosita called from the bar. She leaned her elbow on the wood and smiled flirtatiously at Wynonna, pulling her long hair over one shoulder. “I thought you said you’d be here at the start of my shift. You know it’s not polite to leave a gal waiting.”

Waverly gasped as she spun to look at Wynonna whose eyes were as wide as saucers. She chuckled awkwardly and gave Waverly and Nicole finger guns. “Hey, pals, didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Clearly,” Waverly said, reaching blindly for Nicole’s hand and tugging them after her as she headed for the door. As she passed Wynonna she whispered. “You’re so lucky we’re late right now.”

As they stepped out into the cool morning air, Waverly huffed deeply.

“What was that about?” Nicole chuckled.

“I think Wynonna has a crush on my e-. On Rosita,” Waverly said. “It’s cute but I also feel like I should be mad at her for not telling me.”

“Of course,” Nicole said. “So you’re jealous.”

Waverly let out a harsh bark, giving Nicole a look over her shoulder before walking with them across the street and towards the rec center. “Definitely not jealous.”

“It certainly would be a bad look if my wife was already involved in some jealous love affair,” Nicole said as they rubbed their thumb over Waverly’s. “And so soon after the wedding.”

They stepped into the rec center, hand in hand, and it felt like every eye in the room was on them from the moment they were inside. There were a few ovens set up in the cafeteria area with little preparation stations. Behind each station was an armchair and the other competitors were already milling about.

They were mostly a mix of women Waverly had known in high school at their peak, and some of the older matriarchs around Purgatory including Bunny and her posse. There was an empty station on the end of the row and Waverly made a beeline for it. Nicole plopped themself in the chair as soon as they got to the station. 

“This is weird, but I like it,” they said, rubbing the armrests with their palms.

Waverly was shrugging off her coat when she noticed Pete sitting in the chair at the neighboring station. She gasped. That had to mean-

“ _Nicole_?” came a shrill and familiar voice. 

Waverly whipped around just in time to see Stephanie’s breasts practically spilling out of her shirt as she leaned down to hug Nicole. That hug was definitely going on a little too long. That would not do. Waverly went over and draped her jacket around the back of Nicole’s chair as she leaned into them a little bit, smiling sweetly at Stephanie.

“Oh, hey, Stephanie,” Waverly said, as she casually draped her arm over Nicole’s shoulders.

Stephanie attempted a smile but it looked more like she’d smelled something foul. “Waverly. How have you been? Still working at _Shorty’s_?”

“Mhm, sure am. What about you? Still getting black out drunk at Shorty’s every night and going home with the first guy that’ll give you a ride?” Waverly bit back sweetly. 

Stephanie’s brow furrowed and she crossed her arms tightly before smirking and glancing back at Nicole. “My number hasn’t changed,” she said before turning sharply and walking back to her station. Waverly watched her go, blood boiling, until she felt a light touch on her arm.

“Hey,” Nicole smiled up at her. With a quirk of their eyebrow, Nicole’s smile turned to a cocky smirk. “Look who's jealous now.”

Waverly couldn’t help but feel a little caught, and panic made her heart jump. She blushed and pulled herself away from Nicole who stood up and reached for Waverly’s hand almost immediately, stopping her in her tracks. Waverly sucked in her cheeks and looked anywhere but at Nicole, currently the oven was a good place to look.

“Hey,” Nicole ducked their head and Waverly reluctantly looked over at them. “I don’t like Stephanie anymore, don’t worry.” Waverly felt a warmth of relief and something else settle in her stomach with the way Nicole was looking at her. For a moment she actually forgot about their ruse. Until Nicole kept going. “I’m not going to ruin the charade, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Right.” Waverly pulled her hand away and ran it through her hair instead. Nicole’s brow furrowed again and Waverly quickly smiled up at them again. She cupped Nicole’s cheek, thumb brushing over the scar under their eye and watching as their face relaxed again. “Just sit down and look pretty, okay, babe?”

“Okay,” Nicole said. They turned their face a little into Waverly’s palm before they nodded and went back to the chair. Waverly was putting her apron on when Bunny came over with a clipboard. With a too tight smile, she clicked her fuzzy pen and looked Waverly over. 

“Hello, I see you decided to participate,” Bunny looked over Waverly’s shoulder at Nicole like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. 

“I was always going to participate,” Waverly said as she stepped into Bunny’s line of sight. 

Bunny’s lips tightened together in a pinch and Waverly just smiled wider. Like a switch flipped, Bunny’s smile got wide and she peeked back around to look at Nicole briefly. 

“Glad you and your husband could make it.”

With that, she walked away and Waverly turned back to Nicole who was just sipping on their coffee. 

“I’m sorry about Bunny.”

Nicole shrugged. “I honestly didn’t expect much more from this town. It’s actually surprisingly progressive that Bunny even called me your husband. Even if she’s still wrong.”

A loud obnoxious rendition of Jingle Bells rang through the tinny speakers of the room and Waverly’s attention turned to Bunny at the front. She swayed along to the terrible song until it ended, the last note going on a lot longer than it needed to. She hit the button on the megaphone in her hands and her voice echoed painfully though the room. 

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us on the special centennial year of the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition. Today in the first of three competitions, we will be judging your best Mrs. Christmas muffins. Your husbands are here to taste your muffins and make sure they’re the perfect warmth and softness.”

Nicole snorted behind waverly and she blushed. 

“You have two hours. Please begin.”

Her go-to muffin recipe wasn’t to be beat, to be honest. It was a spiced banana nut muffin, vegan of course, and even Wynonna stuffed them in her mouth when she made them. That was always a good sign. 

Waverly managed to focus on her baking and not the fact that Nicole was sitting behind her, probably just casually watching, which wasn’t necessarily bad. But Waverly’s hyper awareness of herself around Nicole, thanks to her dumb crush, was throwing her off a little bit. She had just finished mixing together her ingredients and was sliding her tray into the oven when she turned to see that Stephanie had invaded their space. 

She was sitting demurely on the arm of Nicole’s chair, holding a muffin in front of their face so they could take a bite. Waverly’s blood nearly boiled over at the sight and she stomped over and knocked the muffin from Stephanie’s hand just as Nicole took a bite. 

“Waverly Earp, how dare you!” Stephanie said. 

“How dare you!” Waverly retorted. “Go back to your own husband and leave mine alone!”

Waverly looked over at Pete who was staring open mouthed at his phone, not even noticing his wife had wandered off to seduce someone else. Stephanie stood up from where she was sitting and took a step closer to Waverly with an infuriating smirk. 

“From what I understand, Earps don’t stay in happy marriages for long. I just have to wait a couple of days,” she shrugged. 

A dull, long forgotten fear stabbed at the back of Waverly’s heart and she crossed her arms. Every stupid little thing that bothered Waverly about Stephanie came together to form one poisonous barb of an insult. She felt it poised and ready on the tip of her tongue when she felt long arms wrap around her from behind and a pleasant firmness against her back. 

“Oh,” was the only word she had left when she felt soft lips brush against her neck.

“Baby, can I try some of your muffin batter?” Nicole said before placing a quick kiss behind her ear. The anger in Waverly’s chest dissipated and she smiled, hands resting on Nicole’s arms around her waist. 

Waverly thought about how easy it was to let herself slip into this role of lovestruck newlywed. How easy it was to let herself believe for a few minutes that Nicole could actually like her this way.

“Just a little bit,” Waverly said, making a show of slipping her hand behind the back of Nicole’s neck and tangling her fingers in their hair. 

Stephanie rolled her eyes and turned her back to them to walk back over to Pete, who seemed a little too interested in the situation now. Waverly gave Nicole’s hair an unnecessary tug and she felt them gasp against her neck. The sensation sent shivers straight to her core and started her gay panic induced need to flee from this feeling she wasn’t allowed to have. Waverly took a deep breath and turned in Nicole’s arms. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, looking up at Nicole shyly. 

“When did Stephanie get so bitchy?” Nicole muttered. “That is not the girl I hooked up with at Prom.” Waverly pinched Nicole’s arm and they jumped in surprise. ”Ow!”

“You _did_ hook up with her.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

Waverly couldn’t think of a neutral response that wouldn’t give away how insanely jealous she was at the idea of Stephanie touching Nicole. Holding them, kissing them, being with them in the way that Waverly wanted to be and still couldn’t, beyond their silly charade. For some reason, even though she was pretty sure that Nicole wouldn’t hook up with Stephanie any time soon, it just made her more mad that they had. 

“Can I actually try some of the batter though?” Nicole smiled. 

Yes, all it took was those two dimples to make Waverly forget that anger and smile back at them instead. Waverly fixed where the collar of their flannel had folded up and shot Stephanie a smug look over her shoulder.

As people’s muffins started to finish, the other contestants lost interest in Waverly and Stephanie’s drama. . Waverly’s muffins came out amazing, as she knew they would, golden brown and moist. Nicole reached for one but Waverly quickly batted their hand away. 

“Not yet,” Waverly admonished.

Nicole gave Waverly a playful pout and she nearly gave in until Bunny stopped in front of her station. She looked between the two of them, and Waverly continued arranging her muffins on a decorative plate. She felt Nicole stiffen beside her and leaned a little into them as she looked up at Bunny.

“Can I help you, Bunny?” Waverly said as she finished arranging her muffins in a tier. 

“Just letting everyone know that your muffins must be at the front of the room in one minute,” she said with a stiff smile. 

“Yep, thanks,” Waverly said, as she added a piece of holly as garnish to the side of the plate. Bunny just muttered something to herself as she walked away, probably something rude if Waverly didn’t know any better. “She’s insufferable.”

“Yeah, well,” Nicole leaned back against Waverly’s station as she added a few more finishing touches to the plating. “Always has been. It’s why I try to avoid her.”

Waverly felt that stubborn guilt that had lodged itself between her ribs wiggle in a little deeper. “I’m so-”

“Don’t apologize,” Nicole said as they snatched the plate of muffins. They smiled charmingly at Waverly. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to. I’m going to put these on the table for you.”

Waverly tried to protest lightly but Nicole was gone before she could stop them. She allowed herself to watch Nicole’s ass as they walked away, pleased that like the rest of them, time had only made their ass better. She really didn’t blame Stephanie for trying to sleep with Nicole again, they did look great.

When Nicole got back to their station, Bunny set off an airhorn to signalize that time was up. Nicole slipped their arm over Waverly’s shoulders just as she took her apron off, and drew her close as the judges walked into the auditorium. It was Sheriff Nedley, the fire chief and the mayor. They all walked around the table before sampling a muffin from each display. Waverly fidgeted nervously and Nicole whispered over to her.

“Stephanie’s muffins looked like cow piles by the way,” they said.

Waverly snickered, slapping her hand over her mouth to hold in a laugh. Nicole squeezed her a little tighter as the judges talked with Bunny after the tasting, her lips getting tighter and tighter, smile looking more and more strained.

They finally walked away and Bunny held the megaphone, graciously covering her face as she made the announcement. 

“In round one of the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition-”

“I thought it was the Mrs. _Purgatory_ Christmas Competition,” Nicole whispered.

“-in third place, taking five points is Stephanie Jones. Second place and taking ten points is Mrs. Littles-”

Mrs. Littles, a middle aged woman in a Christmas themed business suit situation with red matching pants and blazer and a green blouse, pulled her balding husband into an almost explicit kiss in joy.

“-And finally, in first place taking home fifteen points,” Bunny’s voice turned a little sour. “We have Waverly Earp.”

Waverly jumped up in excitement, throwing her arms around Nicole’s neck and pulling them close in celebration. Running only on joy and celebration, Waverly placed a kiss on the very corner of their mouth and the contact stopped her celebration immediately. An embarrassed stone dropped in her belly but Nicole’s arms wrapping around her waist lightened the feeling a little. 

“Congrats, babe,” Nicole smiled, cheeks bright red after Waverly’s kiss.

“Thanks,” Waverly looked away bashfully and Nicole dropped their hold on her. 

“So is that it? Do you get a trophy or something?” Nicole said as they shoved their hands into their pockets and looked around the room as people started cleaning up.

Waverly turned away just as Stephanie was throwing her a look and patted Nicole’s cheek. “Sweetheart, that was just the first out of three,” she said softly.

Nicole hung their head dramatically and Waverly poked their side. “Come on, the faster you help me clean up the sooner we can get away from Bunny.”

***

When they walked back over to Shorty’s, they saw Wynonna’s truck still out front. Waverly, still high off of her win, swung Nicole’s hand between them like her hand belonged in theirs. It felt right, to be honest, and the way that Nicole naturally squeezed her hand or rubbed their thumb over her own really was convincing.

Nothing could wipe the smile off of Waverly’s face as she burst into a much busier Shorty’s than they had left a few hours ago. It was the beginning of the lunch rush and seemed to be running smoothly, but Waverly still got that itch to help even when she wasn’t working. 

They walked down the steps and to the bar top where Wynonna was not so subtly flirting with Rosita. She was behind the bar, leaning back against the counter on her elbows. She was smiling flirtatiously at Rosita as her eyes glanced down at her breasts every few seconds. Waverly rolled her eyes and cleared her throat as she sat down in front of them.

Wynonna whipped around, giving Waverly a look before her eyes landed on her and Nicole’s entwined hands on top of the bar. Blue eyes squinted at the gesture and Waverly let go of Nicole’s hand, embarrassed, folding her hands in her lap instead.

“So, did ya win?” Wynonna said.

“Of course she did,” Nicole smiled proudly, their hand reaching over and covering Waverly's again. “As if anyone could hold a candle to Waverly.”

“I wasn’t asking about her pussy, I was asking about her muffins,” Wynonna frowned to herself. “Though I get the confusion. Either way I don’t need to know about where my sister lands in your perverted ranking system, Haught.”

“ _Wynonna_ ,” Waverly squeaked, entire face turning red.

She tried to pull her hand away from Nicole’s but they held onto hers extra tight. Nicole squinted at Wynonna and leaned forward to put their own elbows on the table and hold Waverly’s hand between theirs. They brought Waverly’s hand to their lips and kissed the back of it. Waverly’s ears felt hot at the feeling of Nicole’s lips on the back of her hand. It sent a throbbing heat into her stomach, especially with the way that Nicole’s jaw was set just so.

“I wouldn’t need a list for best pussy because Waverly would-”

Wynonna practically flung herself over the bar and slapped her hand over Nicole’s mouth. “Don’t you ever finish that sentence if you want to live.” Wynonna jerked her hand away with a deep guttural scream and wiped it on Nicole’s jacket. “Did you _lick_ me?”

“You started it.”

Nicole looked too smug for their own good while Waverly was trapped between being horrified and uncontrollably turned on by Nicole saying ‘pussy’ (so sue her) and really committing to this fake married thing.

“Can you two not?” Waverly frowned in disgust as she pulled her hand from Nicole’s grip and searched through her bag until she brought out some mints. “It’s like being twelve all over again.” She handed one to Nicole who popped it in their mouth while still smirking at Wynonna, who looked even more offended by the action.

Rosita looked like she was pretending not to be listening but still shook her head with an amused smile as she went off to take an order. Wynonna smiled at her as she went but her smile fell as soon as she was out of earshot. She turned towards Nicole with a furious look.

“You know you two aren’t _actually_ fucking, right?” she paused. “Or are you?”

“You started it,” Nicole repeated, but Waverly didn’t miss how their cheeks matched their hair. They opened their mouth to say something else, but froze and dug into their jacket pocket for their phone. They looked down at it with a groan before sliding off of the stool. “I’ll be right back,” they said, reaching out and squeezing Waverly’s knee, so naturally that it felt like instinct.

Waverly’s eyes did the usual thing where they drifted a bit below Nicole’s belt but Wynonna pinching her arm painfully drew her from her reverie.

“Ow!”

“Are you two finally boning in real life?” Wynonna asked.

“Finally?” Waverly scoffed at Wynonna, not willing to engage in this conversation and deciding to slide off the stool instead. Except Wynonna grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the counter. 

“That’s not an answer,” Wynonna hissed.

Waverly jerked her arm away as she whispered, “Of course we’re not, Wynonna! Nicole has been here for a day and, oh yeah, I’m one hundred percent sure that they don’t have feelings for me.”

“Have you seen how they look at you?” Wynonna said. She slapped her hands down flat on the table. “They look at you like you’re the fudge to their sundae.”

Waverly’s heart soared for a moment like a bird taking flight. Could Nicole feel the same way? But then the doubt pierced through the muscle and brought it crashing to the bottom of her stomach. There was no indication that Nicole had any kind of feelings for her. She swallowed thickly and looked at Wynonna deliberately.

“Have they said anything to you?” she asked.

“About what?”

“About _me/_.”

The realization dawned on Wynonna’s face and her face softened. “I mean...no.”

“Then I don’t want to hear your speculation,” Waverly said, feeling just a little bit sick but mostly embarrassed. She licked her lips and felt the annoying pressure behind her eyes. “It hurts too much when I know it’s not true. Okay?”

Wynonna shook her head and reached for Waverly’s arm. “Baby girl-”

Waverly pulled her arm away gently and kept her eyes on the floor. “I don’t really want to talk about it. Can you make me a tea?”

“A Long Island?”

“We can’t all be you, Wynonna. I’m going to use the restroom.”

Really Waverly just didn’t want to see the pity on Wynonna’s face any longer. She retreated to the bathroom and just stared at herself in the mirror. It really was a wonder the way that Nicole’s mere presence over the last couple of days had sent her heart a jumble. 

Or maybe it wasn’t.

The life Waverly had started to pave for herself in Purgatory seemed an awful boring one, but a life nonetheless. Besides the few lukewarm dates and a _very_ sexually satisfying but emotionally bland thing with Rosita, Waverly’s heart never seemed to get that same jump and thrill it had in her youth. Even with Champ in the beginning it felt like her heart was being squeezed pleasantly in her chest and releasing warmth into her veins. 

But leave it to Nicole to bring back those silly adolescent feelings of being totally and completely infatuated with a person. Just their mere presence made her pulse race and cheeks red. Holding Nicole’s hand in the few moments they were allowed in their charade just made Waverly think about it even more. About how soft and strong Nicole’s hands felt. But that led to the slightly more sinful thoughts. Like how strong those hands would feel pinning her wrists to the bed and moving between her thighs.

Waverly let out a frustrated sigh and turned on the water to just splash a little cold water on her now overheated face.

She knew she shouldn’t let herself indulge in touching them like they belonged to her, or dwell on the little smiles from Nicole that felt so intimate and special, but Waverly couldn’t help herself. Even someone pretending to care about her that way was a balm on a wound Waverly didn’t realize she had. It also somehow made her feel lonelier at the same time.

The unknown date of Nicole’s impending disappearance from her life loomed in the back of Waverly’s mind like an annoying tick. They could be gone tomorrow for all she knew.

So maybe it was a selfish decision, it certainly was a bad one, but she felt good about her decision to lean into this fake dating thing. It was nice, even if it was just pretend.

When she felt like she wasn’t going to cry anymore, Waverly walked out of the bathroom where she saw a woman sitting on the stool next to Nicole with her back to Waverly. The jealousy flared again and Waverly stomped over in a blind fury, grabbing the mysterious woman by the shoulder and spinning her around. She was about to give her a piece of her mind when recognition clicked in.

“Chrissy?”

“Waves!” Chrissy pulled Waverly into her arms and hugged her tightly, Waverly returning it just the same. “I’ve missed you! I found your wif-...Nicole! I found your Nicole. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, you bitch!”

Chrissy had moved to the big city with her hot rich boyfriend Amon about a year ago, after she met him at some shady nightclub down there. Since then, she’d had been going around the world traveling with him and her Instagram made it look like she was just having the best time.

Waverly smiled as she took a step back, eyes going over Chrissy’s shoulder to see Nicole frowning at their phone again. She quickly looked back at Chrissy. 

“Uh, it was fast,” Waverly said with a small shrug. “We only told Wynonna at first.”

“Ugh, I know, and I know it’s because I haven’t been around,” Chrissy pouted. “But I want to change that. Double date? You, Nicole, me and Amon.”

“Uh-”

“Tonight, ice skating. Please?” Chrissy pouted and swung their entwined hands between them.

“That sounds like fun, babe,” Nicole called from the counter. Waverly saw Nicole give her a wink over Chrissy’s shoulder before going back to their phone. Waverly clamped down the love sick smile she felt tugging at her lips and gave her attention back to Chrissy, her blue eyes shining.

“It’s a date then,” Chrissy smiled happily. “I have to go, I told Daddy that I’d get lunch with him since it’s my first day back in town. But-” she leaned closer to Waverly and her smile grew. “-I’m really happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Waverly managed to choke out past the lump of guilt in her throat. But she couldn’t tell Chrissy the truth. Could she?

Chrissy said her goodbyes and took off out of the bar. Waverly walked back over to Nicole who promptly put their phone back into their pocket. 

“Ice skating will be fun,” Nicole said.

“Ice skating does sound fun,” Rosita sighed as she wandered up to the nearby cash register to close out someone’s card. “I haven’t been in forever.”

“Oh, uh, you should come with us,” Wynonna said, coming out of nowhere and sliding up beside Rosita.

“You weren’t invited, Wynonna,” Waverly singsonged.

Wynonna waved her off. “Chrissy won’t mind.”

“Actually...that would be nice,” Rosita said as she looked up at Wynonna through her lashes. “If it’s okay.”

“It’s definitely okay,” Wynonna smiled. “It’s a date.”

***

With a huff of frustration, Waverly kicked her skate-fitted feet out in front of her and leaned back against the wall of the penalty box. The cold air of the ice rink cooled her heated cheeks and she watched as Nicole sped around the rink again. They really hadn’t forgotten much since their high school hockey days, it seemed.

Amon was...odd. Vaguely European? He and Chrissy were late so they waited outside for them to get there, and when he pulled up they were in a chrome painted Maserati with bright pink neon lights under it. Trashy Euro music was pouring through the speakers and practically shaking the entire parking lot. He dodged questions about where he was from, usually deflecting with answers like, “Where are any of us from?” There also seemed to be a fine layer of glitter over his entire body that Waverly was both envious of and worried about.

Nicole was the perfect fake date. They opened the door for Waverly and paid for her skating ticket, even putting her stuff in a locker for her. They helped Waverly onto the ice but then told her that they were going to do a few practice laps before taking off. Waverly was skating with Chrissy when two arms wrapped around her from behind threw her off a little bit. She squeaked in shock as she slipped a little, and the arms got tighter. 

“Sorry,” Nicole said, bringing them both to a stop. Chrissy wiggled her eyebrows at Waverly over her shoulder as she skated away. Nicole moved in front of Waverly with a smile, red beanie pulled low on their head and nearly over their eyebrows. “Wanna skate together?”

“Yeah,” Waverly said shyly, adjusting her earmuffs. She had to keep reminding herself that this wasn’t a real date, not even in the slightest. They were just...two friends hanging out.

Nicole slipped their hand into Waverly’s which somehow made it harder to skate. Maybe it was because her brain was so focused on Nicole’s hand and not looking like an idiot that it didn’t have time to concentrate on her mediocre skating skills.

“So,” Waverly said, trying to seem casual. “How long are you here for?”

Nicole hummed. “I’m not sure, to be honest. But not long. Don’t worry, I won’t take up your couch for too long.”

“Oh, no, you can stay as long as you want,” Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand. “Are you still going to be mysterious as to why you’re here?”

She regretted asking as soon as she saw Nicole’s brow wrinkle.

“Uh.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Nicole assured her gently. “I’m just uh...finally dealing with some of my parent’s stuff.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Waverly repeated as her mind searched for information about what happened with Nicole’s parents. They had never been close with their parents, leaving town as soon as they could and not looking back. She remembered they died a few years back, but Nicole hadn’t even come back for the funeral, from what she knew.

Waverly’s heart lurched as let her skate drag a little too much and she tripped, tumbling forward on the ice. 

“Don’t worry, Waves, I got you,” Nicole said as they quickly grabbed Waverly around the waist to keep her upright. Somehow they’d grabbed her in a way that left Waverly in a dipped position with Nicole’s arms holding her up and their faces close. Waverly could feel Nicole’s breath against her lips as they smiled. “You alright?”

“Thanks,” Waverly sighed a little dreamily. 

Nicole’s face was so close she could count their eyelashes but mostly she just wanted to kiss them. 

“Anytime,” Nicole said softly. Waverly swore their eyes flickered down to her lips but Nicole put Waverly back on her feet and the moment was gone. They flipped so they were skating backwards and held Waverly’s hands between them. They smiled at her like she was the only girl in the room and it was intoxicating. Waverly saw something in Nicole’s eye, just a twinge of something, that looked like affection, but she was sure it was just her heart playing tricks on her.

“Here, now I can catch you better when you fall,” Nicole teased.

“You're just showing off,” Waverly said, still a little dizzy from their closeness.

“That too.”

Waverly saw Wynonna and Rosita across the rink skating close together and Chrissy being cute with Amon, and felt that tug of sadness. 

“I’m going to go sit for a second,” Waverly said, smiling up at Nicole. 

“Want me to come with you?” Nicole said. They looked instantly concerned and Waverly quickly shook her head. 

“No no, I’ll only be a few.”

Nicole did look like a bit of a sad confused puppy as Waverly skated over to the penalty box, opening up the door and sitting on the bench with a groan. 

It wasn’t just her own bit of melancholy that had her looking for space. They’d only been at the rink for a half hour or so but already her feet were killing her. Ice skating always seemed like a fun idea until she got there and remembered the cramping in the arches of her feet.

Nicole stopped easily in front of the penalty box with a smile, their red beanie pulled down low almost past their eyebrows. “Hey. You okay? I lost you there.”

“Just my feet cramping. I’ll be back out in a second,” Waverly said.

Nicole looked over the short wall at Waverly’s skates. “They’re probably loose. Let me fix them for you.”

They jumped over the little wall with practiced ease and kneeled in front of Waverly, and it was a good thing that she was sitting or she might have swooned right there. Nicole stuck two fingers into the top of Waverly skates with no preamble. 

“Oh yeah, those are way too loose,” they said, arranging themself so that Waverly’s foot was wedged between their thighs. They began loosening her laces. “This brings me back to when I gave kids skating lessons in high school.”

“I remember that,” Waverly said. Mostly she remembered wondering if she could scrape together enough money to buy some lessons off of Nicole, just to spend some one-on-one time with them. “It was very cute.”

Nicole blushed and smiled up at Waverly. “Is it still cute?”

“Kinda,” Waverly shrugged. 

“Only kinda, wow,” Nicole chuckled. “And here I am tightening your skates.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said as Nicole moved on to the other skate. 

There was a loud thump and Waverly looked up to see Chrissy leaning on the boards, looking winded. 

“Are you okay?” Waverly asked as Chrissy panted.

“Yeah, I’m just- Amon is so just… _Amon_ that I always get exhausted around him. But in a good way,” Chrissy said a little dreamily. “Like he drains me but it’s romantic. I’ve seen so many doctors no one can explain it.”

Waverly frowned just as Amon skated up besides Chrissy. 

“Uh-”

“Make-out bench!” Chrissy gasped, startling Waverly. She blinked at Chrissy, who pointed over Waverly’s head in excitement. “This is make-out bench, remember? They always put the mistletoe here and teenagers always use it as an excuse to make out.”

Waverly looked up and sure enough, there was a piece of mistletoe hanging above the bench. Her heart felt like it was going to explode but she wasn’t sure if it was fear or anticipation. She figured they were one in the same, either way.

“Huh.”

She looked at Nicole who was only looking at her, brown eyes shining and dimples just barely visible. 

“Come on, you two, it’s tradition,” Chrissy said.

Waverly felt trapped in Nicole’s eyes, unable to look away from how deep they were. She could fall right in. She saw the questions in there, she saw Nicole trying to figure out if this was a line they could cross while Waverly was trying to figure out if it was a line that she _should_ cross. The devil on her shoulder asked her when the next chance to kiss Nicole Haught would be. This could be her once in a lifetime opportunity.

Really, Waverly just wanted to kiss Nicole. Really _really_ wanted to kiss them. Their lips looked soft and Waverly had certainly dreamt of it enough. Her stomach was clenching, heart thundering in her chest with the ferocity of a stampede. It felt like every pore that could sweat was, and she rubbed her damp, shaking hands on her jeans. 

“I mean,” Waverly licked her lips and looked down at Nicole’s. “It’s tradition.”

Nicole’s smile widened. “It’d be bad luck to go against tradition.”

Waverly let out a soft breath and decided to go for it before she lost her nerve. She lifted a hand to Nicole’s cheek, eyes glancing down at where Nicole was licking their own lips. She brushed her thumb against Nicole’s cheekbone before leaning down and lightly brushing her lips over Nicole’s, every hair on her body instantly on end. 

She felt Nicole sigh into the kiss, their touch light and unsure, but perfect nonetheless. Even in the cold of the ice rink it felt like there was a heat rolling through Waverly’s body and down to her toes. After all the years of yearning (even when she didn’t realize it) the soft touch of Nicole’s lips against her own felt like a fresh drink of water.

They pulled away and Waverly was sure there were other things happening around them but it felt like she was in a tunnel and could only perceive Nicole. Their eyes, the scent of vanilla and the soft sound of their nervous laugh as it floated through the air between them. Nicole looked down bashfully, smile wide and Waverly’s heart felt like an overinflated balloon in her chest.

There was only one thing Waverly was totally sure of at this moment. Kissing Nicole was a mistake, because now she wouldn’t be able to think of anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come yell at me on Twitter if you're so inclined.](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll. Hope you're staying safe and healthy. Here's a little more Christmas cheer for your Monday. Thank you to Lucky for beta-ing and thank you to all ya'll for your lovely comments, they always brighten my day.

“No way you can fit that whole nacho in your mouth.”

“Sure I can.”

“Prove it.”

Nicole’s eyes narrowed at Wynonna, who was sitting across the table beside Waverly. Thick, unnaturally yellow nacho cheese dripped down the side of their hand from a chip that looked to be half the size of Nicole’s face. They smirked and opened their mouth wide, carefully maneuvering the entire chip into their mouth. The nacho cheese dribbled out of the side of their lips as they crunched down and chewed, a too pleased look covering their features despite the mess on their face. 

Waverly sighed at the sight, her partially eaten pretzel forgotten in front of her as she watched Nicole’s tongue dart out to try and fish for some of the cheese on their face. She was in trouble. In major trouble.

Her lips were still tingling from the kiss she’d shared with Nicole, and even this disgusting display wasn’t enough to put Waverly off. It just made her want to kiss Nicole even more. How messed up was that? They were covered in disgusting skating rink snack food and all Waverly could think about was climbing them like a tree.

The kiss could have lasted one second or one hour and Waverly wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell the difference. It felt like a moment that existed outside of time and when they both finally pulled away, there were spots popping behind Waverly’s eyes. 

Nicole looked embarrassed, cheeks red and unable to keep eye contact with Waverly afterwards. It certainly didn’t help that Chrissy’s way too excited squeal rang through the whole rink and acted like a dog whistle to Wynonna who immediately skated over to see what was happening. 

And if anyone knew how to ruin a mood, it was Wynonna Earp. 

Waverly didn’t quite remember what happened after that. Her kiss-fogged brain only registered Wynonna skating off with Nicole and hitting them upside the head so hard that their beanie flew off their head. 

Then they skated some more and ended up at the snack stand when Wynonna claimed she was hungry. Then she had the pleasure of watching Nicole, who she was now sure was the one true love of her life, shove disgusting processed cheese into their gullet. Still Waverly was sure they were the most attractive person she’d ever seen.

And Waverly was in it deep.

“So, Nicole,” Chrissy said, as she leaned back into Amon’s chest, his arm around the back of her chair as he stared down at his phone. “What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you back in town since high school.”

Waverly looked over at Nicole who was wiping their mouth with a napkin. Brown eyes flickered up to Waverly briefly before looking over at Chrissy.

“Uh, traveling mostly,” Nicole said, clearing their throat awkwardly and looking down at their nachos. Even Wynonna leaned forward a little, pulling the flask out of her pocket with a smirk. Nicole leaned back in their chair and shrugged. “My parents just let me use my college funds to do whatever as long as I got out of the house. I was in Greece with Wynonna last year, before that I was all around Canada, the States, spent some time in Mexico. Kinda everywhere.”

“You just wandered around?” Chrissy smiled. “That sounds fun. Very _sowing your wild oats_.”

Wynonna snorted and Nicole choked on seemingly nothing. Suddenly Wynonna jumped and hissed in pain, reaching for her shin. 

“It was fun, but-” Nicole smiled and reached for Waverly’s hand. Their fingers entwined over the table and Waverly felt her heart flutter into her throat. “-it was time to settle down.”

“Wow, it’s so wild that you and Waverly just reconnected like that. How did it happen?” Chrissy said.

“Oh this is such a good story,” Wynonna said. 

Nicole looked up at Waverly, their brown eyes wide and a little panicked as their mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Waverly squeezed their hand and looked up at Chrissy.

“I commented on one of their Instagram posts,” Waverly blushed as she recalled a photo Nicole had posted when they were in Greece with Wynonna. Their hair had grown out a little and it was kinda flopping over their eyes as they leaned back against the rail of a boat. They were wearing board shorts and a flowy looking white top unbuttoned below their sternum, the shirt open just enough to see a hint of their breasts. Waverly definitely stared at that photo a little too long. She’d considered commenting on it in real life but her finger hovered until it just hit the like button instead. “Where they looked...very handsome, and we just started messaging,” Waverly finished quickly. 

Nicole’s fingers rubbed the top of Waverly’s hand and she smiled at them, her heart squeezing and making her forget about the others for a moment. 

“That’s adorable,” Chrissy sighed. “Like a fairytale.”

Armon gasped dramatically and looked at an expensive gold watch on his wrist. He smiled at Chrissy and looked back at the rest of them. “I am so sorry, friends, but we must go.”

They all stood up to walk out with them and when they walked outside, Waverly was shocked to see Armon’s car was already idling in front of the rink. She frowned and looked around for some kind of valet service or something, but there was no evidence of where it had come from. Waverly frowned at her own distorted reflection in the shiny chrome or the car, watching as the wavy figures of Chrissy and everyone else came up behind her. Everyone else but-

“It was nice meeting you,” Armon said from beside Waverly. She jerked a little in shock, looking back at the vehicle to try and see where his reflection went but it was a blob of distorted images staring back at her. She forced a smile and looked back at him. 

“It was great meeting you too!” They all hugged and waved Chrissy and Amon off as they drove away, his cloud of cologne hanging in the air even after they left. 

“They def want us to join their club of swingers,” Wynonna said. 

Rosita shrugged. “I’d be down.”

Wynonna smirked and stepped a little closer to Rosita, her voice dropping. “Oh yeah?”

Waverly looked away from whatever Wynonna and Rosita were doing just as Nicole started to rub her arms with their hands. She naturally stepped closer to them, just short of leaning against their front. 

“You’re covered in glitter,” Nicole chuckled. Waverly looked down at herself and saw the soft shimmer of the glitter in the light. “From when you hugged Amon I think.”

“Thanks,” Waverly said, as she tried to brush uselessly at the glitter on her front. 

“Hey, um,” Nicole’s hands stopped brushing at her arms, holding her biceps instead as they looked down at her. They looked over her shoulder to make sure Rosita wasn’t listening. “I- sorry about the kiss.”

Waverly’s heart crashed into her stomach. Embarrassment and shame held her in a vice and suddenly she was too close to Nicole and all too exposed, she felt like one raw nerve. Of course Nicole was apologizing. Waverly wanted to die.

“No, uh, I’m sorry,” Waverly glanced down at her boots, waving her hand in front of her face like it would ward off the embarrassment slowly filling her cheeks with blood. “I shouldn’t have- It was...stupid.”

“Wait,” Nicole spread out their legs like an awkward baby giraffe so that they were more face to face with Waverly. They sighed, blowing some hair out of their face. “I just-. If you felt pressured into it, I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh, no no,” Waverly said quickly, pushing some hair behind her ear. “I didn’t feel...pressured. Did you?”

“No,” Nicole said quickly. They licked their lips and squinted up at the sky for a moment before looking back at Waverly. Their face softened and eyebrows arched, dimples popping as they shrugged. “It was actually...well, it was nice. Kissing you.”

Waverly stared at Nicole for a moment as her heart kickstarted into overtime. “Oh.” Her face split into a grin and she couldn’t stop from staring at Nicole. “It was nice. For me too.”

Nicole’s smile got even wider just as Wynonna came and shoved her phone into their chest, effectively ruining the moment.

“I’m not dealing with this,” Wynonna said as Nicole looked down at the phone. They immediately shoved it back at Wynonna and gave her a look.

“Not now,” Nicole said. “I’ll handle it. I promise.”

Wynonna just groaned and shoved the phone in her pocket before Waverly could see who was calling. 

“So,” Wynonna said. “Time to drink?”

***

On the way back to the Homestead they picked up takeout and as soon as they were in the house, Wynonna pulled out the whiskey. Waverly was still floating in her cloud of infatuation since Nicole had said that the kiss was nice. They obviously hadn’t had a single moment alone since the skate rink, so the ride home was torture.

Nicole said kissing her was _nice_. What did that mean? It could just mean they didn’t hate it but still felt platonic but could also mean that maybe they-

It was a dangerous path to consider the possibility that Nicole had feelings for her. More than friendly feelings. 

Plus, Nicole probably kissed their friends a lot. They were very _cool_ and modern and worldly and kissing your friends probably wasn’t a huge deal in their world anymore. The more Waverly thought about it, the more she convinced herself that that was the case. Maybe that’s why Nicole was so interested when she mentioned the friends with benefits situation with Rosita. She knew she had to pretend she was just as cool and worldly as Nicole, even if her heart felt like a raw nerve after the kiss, desperately just wanting to curl into Nicole’s arms and let them kiss her again and again and-

“Want a drink?”

Waverly hummed and looked away from the fireplace that she had been staring into for...who knew how long. She blinked up towards the voice and saw Wynonna staring at her with her eyebrow practically in her hairline.

“What?”

“Yeah, you need a drink,” Wynonna passed Waverly a mug. She looked cautiously into the cup and sniffed, the sharp scent of whiskey making her nose twitch. With a sigh, Waverly took a big gulp and let the whiskey warm her stomach.

“Thanks,” Waverly muttered as she looked back at nothing.

Wynonna sat down on the couch beside her with a sigh, sucking on her teeth before bumping Waverly with her elbow. “So. You and Haught, like, made out.”

Waverly quickly looked over her shoulder to make sure Nicole was out of earshot, and thankfully they were in the kitchen with Rosita.

“We didn’t make out. It was just a kiss,” Waverly said.

“Are you sure it was _just_ a kiss for you, baby girl?” Wynonna said. “Or them for that matter?”

Waverly shook her head, “I like them. A lot. But I don’t know what they-. I don’t think they’re interested.”

“You’re both exhausting,” Wynonna said as she tipped back her own cup and finished off its contents. 

“Pot, meet kettle,” Waverly said as she gave Wynonna a look. 

“Hey, want me to get the fire going?” Nicole said as they came up behind them. Waverly tipped her head back against the couch to see them and couldn’t help but smile as they tilted their head towards the fireplace. “I know you get cold, babe.”

“That’d be great,” Waverly said. 

Nicole smiled down at her and for a second she thought they were going to lean down and kiss her. Instead they reached down and squeezed her shoulder briefly before heading to the wood pile near the door. 

“Alright, well, I’m getting drunk,” Wynonna said as she stood up from the couch. “Haught, let’s play beer pong.”

“No,” came Nicole’s voice from the hall.

“Quarters?” 

“Fine.”

“That is a terrible idea,” Waverly interjected. 

Waverly could see how tight the sleeves of Nicole’s shirt got as they carried an armful of wood from the pile towards the fireplace and she let her eyes linger on them as they bent down. 

“I hate you both,” Wynonna said. She somehow rolled over the back of the couch instead of just walking around it. 

Suddenly Waverly found herself in the place she’d been longing for since the kiss, alone with Nicole, but totally unsure of what to do with herself. She just watched for a moment as Nicole set up the wood, eyes unsure if they should land on their ass or flexing forearms.

“Hey, Waves,” Nicole said softly.

Waverly’s gaze flickered to their face, lips curling into a smile. “Yes?”

Nicole pointed to the side table next to the couch. “Can you hand me the lighter?” Waverly quickly threw Nicole the lighter and they winked at her as they snatched it out of the air. “Thanks.”

Her cheeks flushed as she watched Nicole light the tinder in the middle of the wood, the glowing orange ember catching on the edge of the paper and slowly growing. They set the lighter to the side and stood up, brushing non-existent dirt off their pants as they straightened up.

Waverly’s fingers twitched, her lovestruck instincts telling her to reach out to Nicole and pull her down so they could cuddle on the couch; but calling a kiss ‘nice’ didn’t mean cuddling was okay. At the same time, Waverly had a shot of whiskey and it was just enough to make her loose and skin ache for human contact.

“Is it okay if I...drink?” Nicole asked sweetly.

Waverly felt her stomach warm and she sunk a little more into the soft cushions of the couch. Nicole’s pillow was stuck under her elbow and it was proving hard not to just bury her face in it to breathe in their scent. Smiling flirtatiously up at Nicole, Waverly pulled her lip between her teeth. She could see the challenge in Nicole’s eye, the careful toeing of boundaries, unsure of where they stood. Or maybe Waverly was just using Nicole as a mirror for her own feelings. Either way, she wasn’t backing down from whatever this was.

“Why are you asking me?” Waverly said. Nicole took a couple of steps closer to her, their eyes visibly darting down Waverly’s body. It made Waverly feel bold and she reached forward, hooking her finger in Nicole’s belt loop and tugging them forward. Nicole made some kind of noise in their throat as their knees bumped the side of the couch.

Nicole let out a harsh chuckle, their voice dropping as they leaned down. They placed both hands on the back of the couch on either side of Waverly’s head and leaned down close to her. “Well, I thought I should check in with the wife, you know.”

Waverly was finding it hard to breathe. As the corners of Nicole’s mouth began to twist up into a smirk, dimples deepening, Waverly’s own smile faltered as her breath caught on the ridges of her throat. Vanilla engulfed her like a cloud and she wanted to drown in it. They leaned closer and Waverly’s eyes fluttered in anticipation. Nicole licked their lips, one eyebrow arching into their hairline. 

“Is that a yes?” they asked.

Waverly playfully rolled her eyes and tugged on the front of Nicole’s open flannel, letting the soft fabric move over her fingers. “Yes. I don’t care what you do, but I’m not cleaning up after you.”

Nicole gasped with a frown. “Are you implying I’m a sloppy drunk?”

“I’m implying that I did have to illegally drive you and Wynonna home once.”

Nicole’s smile faltered for the barest of a second and their brow furrowed but as soon as it was there it was gone. “That was just one night.”

“It was enough.”

“Haught Dog!” Wynonna called from the kitchen. “Let’s go!”

“Are you joining us, babe?” Nicole smiled.

“Maybe in a minute,” Waverly said, trying to appear uninterested even though it felt like her heart was fluttering towards Nicole and tempting her closer to them. 

“‘Kay,” Nicole said. They leaned down and pressed a kiss to Waverly’s forehead and in the next instant they were gone, leaving Waverly drowning in a heat that was pressing her down into the couch. Her skin tingled where Nicole’s lips had been and she sighed, tipping sideways onto Nicole’s pillow. She let out a breath and had to hold in a squeal of girlish infatuation.

She gave herself a few moments to let her heart settle before staring up at the ceiling with a wide grin. Being near Nicole was intoxicating, She’d have to take the drinking slow tonight. After a few deep breaths, Waverly managed to get her heart rate down and she got up from the couch. 

Nicole, Wynonna and Rosita sat around the kitchen table, all looking far too serious. There was a cup in the middle of the table and piles of coins in front of each of them. Wynonna picked up a coin, rubbing it between her fingers for a moment before throwing it against the table and watching it bounce up. It clanged as it hit the edge of the cup but bounced outside of it.

Wynonna growled in frustration, dumping the shot in front of her into the middle cup as Rosita picked up a coin. Waverly sat at the table and Wynonna pushed a pile of coins her way even as she concentrated on the game. Waverly watched as Rosita expertly bounced the coin into the cup. She smirked as she pushed the cup towards Wynonna. 

“Drink up, babe.”

“Ew, with the coins in it?” Waverly wrinkled her nose as Wynonna quickly tipped back the cup’s contents into her mouth. She smacked her lips and let out a loud ‘ah’ as she dropped the cup back onto the table.

“They’re clean, they were in my truck,” Wynonna shrugged.

Waverly rolled her eyes just as Nicole bounced their coin and had it barely miss the cup. Waverly went but missed the cup and on the next try Wynonna got her quarter in the cup and passed the drink over to Nicole with a smirk. When Rosita got her coin in the cup on her next turn, Wynonna pointed at Nicole.

“Give it to them.”

“Are you serious?” Nicole said.

“You’re the one always bragging that you hold your liquor better than me. Prove it,” Wynonna said, pushing the cup in their direction.

With a challenging set to their jaw, Nicole stared Wynonna down as she shot back the alcohol.

The game pretty much went on like that with Wynonna shoving as many shots at Nicole as possible and vice versa. When the once full whiskey bottle was reaching the bottom, Waverly had a pretty nice buzz going but had switched to water a while ago. Not that it really mattered when the more drunk Nicole and Wynonna got, the more they just made the other drink. Wynonna was practically hunched over the table, eyes heavy as she spent way too long aiming her coin. 

Nicole was leaning way back in their chair, slumped down and legs spread out wide. Waverly kicked the bottom of their foot playfully and drunk Nicole snickered, lightly tapping their foot against Waverly’s in response.

Wynonna frowned at Nicole. “What’re you laughin’ at?”

“You,” Nicole said flatly. 

“I’m going to bed,” Waverly shook her head and suppressed a yawn. “I have to be up early for the next Mrs. Purgatory Christmas Competition.”

“Purgatory _Mrs. Christmas_ Competition,” Wynonna corrected.

“Mrs. Christmas Purgatory Competition,” Rosita tried.

Waverly ignored them as she stood up and tapped the end of Nicole’s nose lightly. “And so do you.”

Nicole just hummed, head rolling drunkenly on their neck as they looked up at her. 

“Wait wait,” Rosita leaned across the table and grabbed Waverly’s wrist, nearly knocking over the whiskey bottle in the meantime. “We’ve barely talked.”

Waverly frowned and slowly sat back down. “We’ve been talking all night.”

“Well, not about the sappy stuff I want answers to.,” Rosita smirked and looked at Nicole. “I just want to know how you knew...how you knew you were in love.”

“Actually, I’d like to hear this too,” Wynonna slurred with a shit eating grin. Waverly shot her a look.

Nicole chuckled. “Is that all?”

All eyes were on them again as they took another shot with a grimace. Waverly set her water down in front of Nicole and they looked at it warily before looking back at Rosita. 

“Let’s see,” Nicole leaned back as they cued themself up to tell the story. Waverly’s stomach twisted in nerves and dread. A simple question for two newlyweds, a loaded gun in their situation where Waverly was straddling the line of believing Nicole might have feelings for her and being sure they could never like her that way.

“Well, I’ve always loved Waverly,” they said easily, picking at a loose thread on their jeans. “The love jus’ changed.” They rested their elbows on the table and reached for Waverly’s hand. They looked into her eyes and her heartrate picked up as she gazed into deep brown pools. Nicole’s voice softened and their brow furrowed, eyes looking at their joined hands on the table. They flattened their hand and Waverly settled her own over theirs, her fingers lightly tracing along their long digits as they continued to talk. They looked back up at Waverly with a soft smile. “It was actually-...I jus’ remember watchin’ her get her degree and become this amazing, brilliant woman she was always meant to be.” Nicole gazed into Waverly’s eyes and she was helpless but to stare back. She could hear her blood rushing through her ears and she could barely hear Nicole’s voice over it. “How could I not love her?”

Waverly’s heart let out one heaving sob in her chest. This was too much when Nicole didn’t mean it. It felt like she was being made fun of and her feelings totally discarded, even though Nicole had no idea how she felt. Letting out a shaky breath, Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand briefly and stood up, her chair scraping behind her.

“I should go to bed,” she said shakily, eyes still on Nicole’s.

“M’kay, babe,” Nicole whispered. They took Waverly’s hand and tugged her towards them. Waverly let herself be pulled down sideways into Nicole’s lap, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck as theirs settled around her waist. The alcohol plus her closeness to Nicole made Waverly’s body warm, and her nervous fingers played along the edge of their shirt collar. A terrible idea, but Waverly couldn’t stay away. “Night. I’ll miss you.” 

Waverly’s eyes looked down at Nicole’s full lips despite her better judgement. She could smell the alcohol on their breath and see the red tint to their cheeks. She cupped Nicole’s cheek and their dimples popped making Waverly feel like she was about to swoon. 

“Night,” Waverly whispered. She wanted to kiss Nicole’s lips, but instead leaned forward and kissed them gently between their eyebrows. “Don’t overdo it.”

“I won’t,” Nicole breathed. They squeezed Waverly’s waist when she went to stand up, finally letting her go with a light playful tap on the ass. Waverly scurried away so quickly she just barely caught the end of Wynonna telling Nicole they were gross. She would blame it on the alcohol, but Waverly felt giddy and her lips tingled, thoughts only on red hair and soft lips.

***

Waverly was tired of being woken up in the middle of the night.

Yet here she was, being startled awake once again because of a commotion she heard on the stairs. The rustling now sounded like it was in front of her bedroom door and she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as her heart beat quickly at the unknown. She could still feel the effects of the alcohol in her veins, making her head light and limbs a little clumsy. There was a ‘thump’ and a hushed curse and Waverly was out of the bed and at her door. As soon as she turned the knob, the door fell open and Nicole’s tall body fell heavily into Waverly. 

“Oh, wow,” Waverly grunted under the unexpected weight but somehow managed to stay upright. 

“‘Orry,” Nicole slurred as they stood back up, their heavy limbs still draped over Waverly. They blinked and looked at Waverly for a moment before their smile grew wide. “Yer so pretty.”

Waverly blushed, shifting under Nicole’s arms over her shoulders. She smiled at the compliment and ran her hands up Nicole’s long arms. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Nicole smirked and pressed her forehead to Waverly’s who tipped her chin towards Nicole, their lips becoming dangerously close. Waverly swallowed thickly, nerves knotting her stomach as she licked her lips.

“Nicole-”

“They’re having sex,” Nicole practically shouted. 

Waverly snickered and quietly hushed them, some of her own nerves gone. “What?”

“Wynonna and Rosita,” Nicole said in a loud whisper. “They’re ‘aving loud sex. I can’t sleep on that couch, I can ‘ear everything.”

“Oh,” Waverly said, her hands coming up and framing Nicole’s face, squishing their cheeks together a little bit. “Come on, get in here.”

“I can sleep ‘ere,” Nicole pointed towards the small loveseat Waverly had set up in the corner of her room. It was barely big enough for Waverly to curl up on, there was no way Nicole was going to sleep on that comfortably in any way. 

“Just sleep with me,” Waverly blurted before she could think properly. “In my bed, anyways.”

“‘Re you sure?” Nicole said, even as they straightened up and started to shrug off their flannel. “That’d be real nice, Waves. They’re so _loud_.”

Waverly slipped under the covers to escape the chill of the room and by the time she looked back at Nicole, they were tugging their shirt over their head only to reveal a tight flesh colored tank top that stopped at the bottom of their ribs. 

“Oh no,” they groaned, arms flopping to their sides. “‘M too drunk for this.”

Nicole tugged uselessly at the top before grumbling and moving on to their pants. The heat slowly rose in Waverly’s face as she watched Nicole’s fingers undo the button on their pants and pull down the zipper. She’d had this dream before, but not quite this. She probably should have reminded Nicole that they were undressing in front of Waverly but her heart was beating so fast, paralyzed by her thirsty eyes who drank in every new inch of skin that Nicole exposed.

They pushed their pants down their legs, revealing black boxer briefs with little rainbows and unicorns on them. Waverly’s teasing remark stuck in her throat when Nicole kicked their pants off and shapely, strong thighs came into view. Waverly swallowed thickly, imagining herself between those thighs, before she forced herself to look back at Nicole’s face. They were smirking at her and Waverly felt caught.

“Nice underwear,” Waverly managed, hoping to play off the fact that she was staring.

Nicole looked down at them and back up at Waverly. “I though’ you liked unicorns.”

“Are you saying you chose your underwear because you thought I’d like them?” Waverly raised her eyebrow at them.

Nicole shrugged. “I’m not _not_ saying that,” they said. Nicole winked at Waverly before turning around and trying to get their undershirt off again. Waverly watched them struggle for a moment, lifting the tight material up their back only to get stuck near their shoulders with their arms awkwardly bent and stuck to their sides. They struggled for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Hey, uh, Waves, can you help me?”

“Oh, yeah,” Waverly quickly got up from the bed and moved behind Nicole's hands finding the edge of the material.

“It’s a new binder,” Nicole mumbled as they tried to wiggle some more to get out of it. 

Waverly laughed lightly. “Stop moving.” 

She wedged her fingers under the material and gently pushed it up over Nicole’s head, revealing their bare back that Waverly gently ran her fingers down without thinking. Nicole held their binder to their chest as they turned around.

“Good thing you’re my wife, right? Otherwise this would be really awkward,” Nicole chuckled, swaying a little on their feet from the alcohol. Waverly shook her head and pushed some hair over Nicole’s ear.

“Come to bed,” Waverly turned around and slipped under the covers. When she turned in the bed, Nicole had slipped their shirt back over their head, binder forgotten on the floor, and they practically fell onto the bed, all limbs. Waverly flailed under their arm for a moment, huffing as Nicole got comfortable and kicked at the covers in some weird attempt to get under them. Nicole finally settled on their side, draping their arm over Waverly’s shoulder and pulling her towards them. They dropped a soft kiss on Waverly’s jaw and she gasped softly, her hand reaching for Nicole’s arm.

“Nicole,” Waverly’s brain was short circuiting as Nicole’s nose brushed along her cheek. She could feel their breath on her cheek and shivered. “You’re drunk.”

She stated it like the fact it was, not entirely sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do. She wanted to turn her head just a little and kiss Nicole silly, but was at least sober and awake enough to know that was a terrible idea. She turned towards Nicole, their faces close, and cupped the side of their neck. 

“‘M not _that_ drunk,” Nicole lied. 

All the things Nicole had said earlier weighed heavily at the front of Waverly’s mind. She never realized Nicole was that good of an actor, probably because they were a terrible liar. It made Waverly wonder if there was more truth in it than she had assumed. 

“Yer jus’ so pretty,” Nicole brushed their noses together. “An’ I like you so much.”

Waverly’s heart leapt in her throat at Nicole’s words, mouth running dry as she looked at them. Nicole turned their head and kissed Waverly’s palm before sinking into the pillow.

“Like me like… _like_?” Waverly asked quickly. But the only response from Nicole was just a sleepy hum. “Nicole.”

The only noise in the room was Nicole’s light snoring. Waverly sighed and brushed her finger over Nicole’s cheekbone. 

“Because I _like_ like you,” Waverly whispered to no one. Nicole muttered something in their sleep and pulled Waverly closer, so she brushed her nose in the hollow of Nicole’s neck and closed her eyes. 

“I like like you too,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly gasped, holding her breath and waiting to see if her mind was playing tricks on her. She looked up at Nicole who was back to their soft snores.

“Nicole,” Waverly shook them a little but they just groaned. “Will you remember this in the morning?”

Her mind was going a thousand miles a minute. She wanted to shake Nicole awake and ask for clarification, for _something_. The hope was too much for her heart to take and she knew sleeping would be impossible tonight. She just watched Nicole sleep for a moment and tangled their legs together, vaguely hoping that it would wake Nicole up and they could keep talking. She gripped Nicole’s hip, pouting as she cuddled back up to Nicole and put her face in their neck. They obviously weren’t waking up any time soon. 

Waverly was surprised when the heavy signs of sleep weighed down on her, but Nicole wrapped around her and their heartbeat against her own chest was soothing. So Waverly let herself fall asleep, hoping sleep was kind to her.

***

Laughter. 

Waverly heard nothing but laughter around her. She blinked and realized she was at the top of the Homestead stairs and the noise was coming from the kitchen. She frowned as she slowly went down the stairs, entering the kitchen where Wynonna and Nicole were sitting hunched over the table in laughter. 

“What is it?” Waverly asked.

Both of them banged their firsts on the table like they’d heard the best joke ever. Nicole turned to her, still laughing. 

“We’re just-” they snorted. “-we’re just talking about all that shit I said to Rosita yesterday about loving you. I can’t believe she bought it.”

Waverly’s heart broke and she shook her head. “You didn’t mean it?”

Nicole and Wynonna’s laughter stopped immediately and they turned to her with glowing red eyes. Nicole stood up from the table, a cruel smile spreading over her face. “Mean it? Ha, yeah right, Waverly. Like I could ever even _like_ you. I just keep you around because Wynonna is my best friend.”

Wynonna laughed cruelly and Nicole joined in. Waverly felt the tears behind her eyes and shook her head just as-

She awoke with a start, heart hammering in her chest. She moved to get up but felt a tight arm around her waist keep her in bed.

“Not yet,” Nicole whispered in her ear.

Waverly tried to orient herself after the dream and realized she was warm in bed with Nicole holding her from behind. She could feel their soft curves and the firm strength of their arm over her and let herself relax back into the bed. She felt Nicole’s breath ticking the back of her ear and snuggled back into them. 

Sometime in the night her heart had made a decision that she couldn’t keep doing this without knowing how Nicole felt. And since she was sure that Nicole would fully reject her, she decided to enjoy this while she could for the next few minutes. The not knowing was weighing on her too much, especially not knowing when Nicole was planning on leaving. 

She replayed what Nicole had said the night before at the kitchen table and actually felt a twinge of annoyance. Did Nicole think they could just waltz in and say those things to her and nothing happen? That things would just be okay? Leave it to Nicole who had been gallivanting around the world and sleeping with what Waverly could only assume were hundreds of girls. 

Waverly huffed and didn’t bother being carefully when she turned around in the bed to face Nicole. Dark brows furrowed and Nicole tried to pull the covers over their head. Waverly tugged them down and they huffed.

“Waves, come on,” Nicole muttered, wrapping her arm around Waverly’s waist and drawing her close. Nicole cuddled their face into Waverly’s neck and her heart fluttered as the tall human curled up into her. “Jus’ a little longer.”

“We’re going to be late,” Waverly said, trying to stay mad even as her body reacted to Nicole being so close to her. She indulgently let herself wrap her arms around Nicole’s body for a moment, marveling at how warm they felt and how it seemed right. But all she had to do was imagine Nicole cuddling some faceless hot woman and she was over it. 

Waverly sighed and pulled away, throwing the blankets off of herself and Nicole as she got out of the bed. Nicole grumbled and rolled onto their back.

“I’m hungover.”

“Whose fault is that?” Waverly quipped as she went to her closet.

“Baby, just come back to bed for a little bit,” Nicole tried.

Waverly put her hands on her hips and turned towards Nicole. “You can’t do that.”

Nicole frowned, blinking up at her. Waverly noticed their eyes flicker over her body and remembered she was only in tiny sleep shorts and a cami that did little to hide her cleavage. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and Nicole finally spoke. “What? Do what?”

“You can’t do _that_ ,” Waverly said, gesturing vaguely towards them. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair and it caught on knots from the night, tugging at her scalp painfully and just making her more upset. 

“Waves, you're going to have to be more specific. I just woke up and I’m hungover.”

Waverly reached for her silk nightgown hanging on the back of her closet and quickly slipped it on to maintain _some_ modesty. She didn’t want to have this conversation with Nicole with her breasts hanging out.

“You can’t be sweet to me anymore,” Waverly said, her voice cracking a little. Nicole looked confused and she just turned back to her closet to get clothes for the day as her voice shook. “I just-. It’s too much.”

Nicole sat up in the bed, copper hair sticking out at odd angles as they rubbed their eyes with the heels of their hands. They patted the bed beside them. “Can you come sit, please?”

Waverly sighed and went over to Nicole, sitting heavily on the bed. “What?”

“What do you mean? Be sweet to you?”

“You can’t call me ‘baby’ or open doors for me or hold my hand or-or be nice at all,” Waverly rambled, talking like if she talked fast enough she could outrun the tears she felt choking her.

“Waverly,” Nicole said. “What happened? Everything seemed fine yesterday.”

Waverly shook her head, reminding herself she was annoyed and mad at Nicole. That would keep those pesky tears at bay.

“I just-” Waverly let out a long sigh. “It was fine, and then it wasn’t. Okay? Just please, respect that.”

“I will, I do,” Nicole said, turning their body so they were facing Waverly more. “I just want to know why.”

“It’s too much.”

“Too much what?”

“Just _too much_.”

“But _why?_?”

“All that stuff you said to Rosita yesterday was just too much!” Waverly said. Nicole cringed a little bit at the volume of her voice but Waverly continued, panic getting the better of her. “It’s too much because- I-I hear you say those things and it _hurts_ , Nicole. It hurts like hell because I want them to be true!”

Waverly snapped her mouth shut and her entire face turned red as the sinking realization of what she just said hit her. Nicole stared at her, jaw slack and shock apparent on their face. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Waverly quickly looked away then decided she needed to be as far away from Nicole as possible. “I’m going to get dressed. You don’t have to go today, I’ll tell Bunny you’re sick or something.”

She moved to leave but Nicole grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Nicole stood up and stepped behind Waverly, fingers still trapping her wrist. 

“Wait,” Nicole said softly. Waverly refused to turn around; she didn’t want to look at Nicole in the face as they calmly told her why they didn’t feel the same. Her limbs were shaking and she just wanted to go to the bathroom so she could cry in the shower, but Nicole put their hand on her hip and immobilized her. 

“Wait,” Nicole repeated softly. Waverly felt Nicole slowly stand flush behind her, but not touch her. They dropped her hand and swept her hair over the back of her neck gently. “Do you mean that?”

Waverly swallowed thickly. “Mean what?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” Nicole said as they slowly wrapped one arm around the front of Waverly’s hips and carefully drew her back into them. The other hand brushed through the soft hairs at the base of her neck and it took all of Waverly’s willpower not to lean back into them.

“Yes. I mean it,” Waverly breathed, truth falling from her lips as easily as a sigh. “I wanted it to be true.”

Nicole let out a breath against the back of Waverly’s neck and she shivered. “What if I told you I meant it?” Nicole said softly. Waverly slowly, like she was afraid to spook Nicole, turned in their arms, her hands on Nicole’s forearms as she looked up at them. She licked her lips nervously and just looked at Nicole, afraid to speak. “I-...I really really like you, Waverly Earp.”

“Oh,” Waverly said, fingers twisting in the front of Nicole’s shirt. Her heart was hammering and words fought to try and get out of her mouth but she was too overwhelmed. “I-”

“It’s okay...if you don’t-”

“No, no,” Waverly gripped Nicole’s shirt tighter. “I do. I- I really really like you too.”

Nicole’s face broke into a tentative smile. “Oh. Are you sure?”

Waverly heart fluttered, totally charmed as she cupped the back of Nicole’s neck and tugged them close as she nodded her head with a blinding smile. “Why don’t you kiss me and find out?”

Nicole chuckled, tipping their head back to look at the ceiling briefly before leaning in and kissing Waverly hard on the mouth. Waverly sighed into the kiss, her heart bursting in excitement as she pulled Nicole’s lip between her teeth and counted her lucky stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come yell at me on Twitter if you're so inclined.](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all,
> 
> What a couple of days it's been, huh? Gods have mercy, what a ride. Well. Here is this silly little Christmas fic I've been working on. The last chapter is available now, go to my twits to find out where. <3
> 
> Thanks, ya'll, for reading. Thank you Lucky for beta-ing. And thank the universe for that yeehaw shot of Waverly and Nicole in the 4B trailer.

“Nic,” Waverly whispered, running her fingers through messy red hair and lightly tugging at the roots. Nicole hummed and slid their hands under Waverly’s nightgown, palming at her hips. 

“We should go,” Nicole said, their lips never parting from just above the lace edge of Waverly’s silky night top. Heat bloomed deep in Waverly’s stomach when she felt sharp teeth nipping at her chest. She arched up into Nicole’s mouth, eyes fluttering shut as she twisted red locks between eager fingers.

“We should go,” Waverly repeated as Nicole slid back up her body until they were face to face again. The grin that lit up Nicole’s features was infectious and Waverly kissed their lips as they settled back over her. After their mutual confession of pining, Waverly had pulled Nicole back onto the bed, their lips and hands emboldened with each moment they spent tangled up together. She was trying to keep her hips from jumping up towards the thigh Nicole had slotted between her legs, when all she wanted to do was ride it to feel some relief.

It had been a fair while since Waverly had been with anyone and her body felt extra needy, craving for Nicole to touch her everywhere. 

“We have to be in town soon,” Nicole said as they left Waverly’s lips and nibbled on her earlobe. Waverly gasped as their hands slipped under her and squeezed her ass unexpectedly. 

Waverly wanted to rip all of her clothes off right there but she tugged on Nicole’s hair to get them away from her sensitive neck instead.

“We should stop or we’re never making it to town.” Waverly held back a moan as she looked up at Nicole, their pupils blown and lips swollen, short hair perfectly mussed from Waverly’s fingers. She wanted them so badly and if Wynonna wasn’t a ticking time bomb of moment-interruption, she might say screw it to the competition and stay in bed with Nicole instead. At this rate, it was only a matter of time until Wynonna got bored and came looking for them.

Nicole let out a playful growl. “Fine.”

“Trust me, I don’t _want_ to,” Waverly sighed and looked over at her clock. “We have ten minutes to get dressed if we want coffee.”

Nicole groaned as they buried their face in Waverly’s neck. They playfully blew air out against her skin and Waverly giggled, wiggling under Nicole’s body and turning her head to kiss them fully. 

“Come on,” Waverly whispered against their lips. “Let’s go win the second half of that competition.” Waverly smirked and purred lightly, leaning up to whisper in Nicole’s ear. “And winning turns me on.”

“You’re torturing me,” Nicole mumbled, kissing Waverly again. Waverly hummed and fully wrapped her limbs around Nicole’s tall body, keeping them close. “Oh no, you’re the one that said we have to get up. Come on.”

Waverly laughed as Nicole heaved her off the bed with her still wrapped around their body. Nicole looked so damn proud of themself for holding Waverly up, and she placed soft kisses on the corners of their mouth.

“Come on, baby,” Waverly squeezed her legs around Nicole’s waist briefly. “When the lust wears off, the hangover will take over. Let’s get some coffee in you.”

***

Somehow they managed to get to town with just enough time for Waverly to check in with Bunny and get to her station. It was a miracle because Nicole’s hand lay hot on her thigh the entire ride into town. It was practically burning her skin through her jeans and all she could do was grip the steering wheel for dear life when she desperately wanted to fling herself across the seat and kiss Nicole.

Thankfully the chill of the day calmed Waverly’s hormones just a little. They had them set up in the park for some reason, and Waverly walked up to her station and noted something under a cloth and...chainsaws? Waverly had barely enough time to think about the chainsaws nearby when Mercedes came flouncing up to her. 

“Hey, girl!” Mercedes said with a small wave. 

“Hey, Mercedes,” Waverly said, taking in her bright, purple coat with fluffy fur trim. Waverly could hardly take her eyes off of it, it looked like whatever the fur used to be might still be moving. 

“Where’s your hot spouse?” Mercedes asked, looking around at the other stations that already had both partners at them.

“They’re just getting me some tea,” Waverly said.

Mercedes gasped and grabbed Waverly’s arm with a surprising amount of force. “That’s so cute. How’s the selling of their parent’s house going by the way?”

Waverly blinked at Mercedes, trying to think if she’d heard Nicole mention _anything_ of the sort in the three words she’d managed to drag out of them about why they were there. “Oh, uh, when-?”

“Don’t worry, nothing sexy happened,” Mercedes winked at Waverly, totally misreading the situation. “I just ran into them at the real estate office a few days ago. They seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of the house, though, I’m surprised they’re still in town. Are you going with them when they take off again?”

Waverly felt like she was going to pass out. “Um-”

“Hey, babe,” Nicole came up behind her, leaning down over her shoulder and kissing her cheek as they handed Waverly her drink. 

Waverly felt all her dread disappear for a few moments and she quickly turned her head to peck Nicole’s lips. “Thank you. I was just catching up with Mercedes here.”

Nicole straightened up quickly, clearing their throat. “Oh, hey, Mercedes.”

Mercedes smiled at them but her smile faded as she looked behind Nicole. “I see Bunny is about to start her thing. Ugh. I’m judging this bitch so, make it delicious. Gotta go. Bye!”

She threw them a non-committal air kiss and scurried off towards where Bunny was wielding her megaphone once more. Waverly finally looked down at her station and noticed there wasn’t an oven, but instead what looked like a bar cart. The heat from her cup reminded her why she felt like she was going to barf. She whipped around towards Nicole and swore she saw them flinch.

“You're selling your parent’s house?” Waverly tried to sound casual but could feel her own eye twitch. “That’s what you’re doing in town?”

“Yeah,” Nicole sighed.

“To sell it _quickly_?”

“I mean, technically?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Waverly asked, hurt no doubt leaking into her features.

Nicole shook their head, shoulders shrinking up towards their ears. “Babe, there hasn’t really been a lot of time to talk, if you’ve noticed. I didn’t even realize you felt the same way about me until this morning. Before that I thought I could just leave and no one would care!”

Waverly crossed her arms tightly just as Bunny’s megaphone sound went off and everyone cringed as they turned towards the noise.

“Hello, beautiful wives and dutiful husbands,” Bunny began. “Whether or not you have children now or are planning to have them in the near future-”

“Does that thing have to be so loud?” Nicole scoffed and muttered under their breath. “Weird breeder bullshit-”

“-I’m sure you’re planning on raising Purgatory’s next crop of well doing citizens. And any good parent knows, a delicious cocktail for mom and dad to enjoy together can really take the edge off of things.”

“So now she’s suggesting alcoholism as a parenting tip?” 

Waverly elbowed Nicole in the ribs and they hissed in pain.

Bunny blathered on. “So for today’s event, the wives will be making a tray of delectable drinks while the husbands will be making an ice sculpture! As you all know, chainsaws are a _staple_ skill among our strong, Canadian men who use every day to make Canada great again.”

“What?” Nicole squinted towards Bunny. Waverly looked back at the covered object and the chainsaw next to it. It clicked. At the next station, Pete pulled the tarp off of his object and revealed a block of ice the size of a man’s torso. “Are you kidding me?”

With that everyone got started, looking at their ice blocks and looking at the various liquors at their stations. Nicole just stared at the block and Waverly sighed. The tension between them swirled like a dust storm, and Waverly could barely stand it. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. There were more important things to worry about right now. 

“Nic,” Waverly started. 

Nicole whipped around quickly and grimaced. “Oh, yeah, just hit that hangover real hard.”

“Nic,” Waverly said, taking their hand. She wanted to give them an out, well, them both an out. She wanted to give them the chance to get space or run if it possessed them. But she hoped like hell it didn’t. It just always seemed like people left when it got hard and Waverly had reminded Nicole how this was messy, if they wanted to leave soon. “I’ll do the sculpture. You can go home.”

Nicole stared down at her and it actually hurt a little bit to look up into their face, when she didn't know what was coming. 

“Waves,” Nicole said. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about the house, it just felt like real life and we’re kinda in this bubble, you know? Like a happy...uncomplicated bubble. For now. And I didn’t know when was a good time between the holidays and-” they quickly looked around to make sure no one was listening. “-pretending to be married. There was just a lot happening.”

“I suppose there hasn’t really been time,” Waverly shrugged, looking away from Nicole’s brown eyes that always seemed to pull her in. “And I guess if this is just...until you’re gone.”

“No, Waverly,” Nicole said quickly. “Please don’t think that, okay? I want to keep getting to know you. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I- there’s still things I want to talk to you about. Just now is not the time. But I _want_ to, if you’ll let me.”

Waverly’s cheeks were burning so hot it felt like she was under a heater. The end of Nicole’s nose was cherry red from the cold and her eyes were wide and pleading; Waverly was sure she’d never seen a more adorable sight. And this wonderful creacher was saying they wanted to get to know her. Like really get to know her.

“No one has...said that to me before,” Waverly said softly. “That they wanted to know more about me.”

“I want to know everything about you,” Nicole said softly. “If you’ll have me.”

Waverly’s heart did a cartwheel in her chest, right over the sadness that had set up a wall around her heart. She smiled. She wanted to stay mad and upset for just a little longer, but Nicole had a point. They hadn’t done much _real_ talking other than their feelings for the other. It actually made Waverly fidget nervously, wondering if Nicole would still want her if they learned more about her. But their eyes looked so sincere that Waverly wanted to surround herself in it.

“I want to know everything about you too,” Waverly said, finally closing the distance between them and slipping her arms inside Nicole’s jacket to hug them. They returned the gesture and Waverly felt them kiss the top of her head. She looked up at Nicole and lifted herself on her tiptoes so that she could kiss them softly. Nicole gently cradled Waverly’s face in their hands and Waverly’s heart pulled her even closer to Nicole.

Nicole placed two soft kisses on the corners of Waverly’s mouth. 

“Thank you,” they said between kisses. “You have every right to be upset with me, but I’ll make it better, I promise. Just let me make the best ice sculpture I can for my wife, huh?” 

Waverly chuckled and ran her hands up inside the back of Nicole’s shirt. They jumped and gasped, but their dimples deepened. They let go of Waverly’s face just to pull their gloves off and hand them to her. 

“But-”

“I can’t handle a chainsaw with them anyways.” Nicole kissed her again and Waverly sighed. Nicole slowly pulled away, stepping backwards and out of Waverly’s arms as they shrugged off their jacket. They picked up some goggles that had been left on the station and slipped them over their head. “Lucky for you, I’ve done this before.”

Waverly frowned. “When?”

“Copenhagen, four years ago,” Nicole winked at Waverly as they picked up the chainsaw, balancing it on their hips for a moment as they grabbed the cord and pulled, letting it roar to life. They continued, yelling over the chainsaw. “Some guy needed help at a competition, his assistant got sick last minute, and I needed the cash. So he gave me a crash course. I can’t promise much, but it’ll get done.”

Waverly blushed, just watching as Nicole turned towards the block. The chorus of chainsaws and scent of gas hung in the air as Waverly turned back to her station. She wrinkled her nose at the cheap liquor lined up on the back of her station and wondered if she could sneak to Shorty’s and get some good stuff.

Too much trouble.

She slipped Nicole’s gloves on her hands just to warm them up a bit and wiggled her fingers as she looked at how much bigger Nicole’s hands were than hers. Not that she didn’t know from all the time she’d spent staring at their hands, but there was something about wearing the gloves. Waverly cleared her throat and looked back at her bar cart.

She decided on a warm bourbon cider which was tasty, but easy, and meant she’d have time to throw together some garnishes before the time was over. As she let the cider and spices heat up on the stove, she decided to turn around and see how Nicole was doing.

Waverly nearly choked on her own tongue when she saw Nicole had pushed the sleeves of their Henley up to their elbows and their biceps were practically bursting out of the shirt as they maneuvered the heavy chainsaw. There was shaved ice flying from the end of their chainsaw like snow and had caught in their beanie and hair. Waverly thanked every single god that Nicole liked her back.

On the edge of her happiness was the reminder that she still didn’t know when Nicole was planning on leaving, but apparently it was soon. And Waverly was stuck here in Purgatory, a rock trying to pin down a feather that was moving on the wind. 

Waverly managed to pull herself from her thoughts just in time to see Nicole lift up the edge of their shirt and wipe at something on their face as they turned to look at her. They smiled, waving weakly and pointing at their sculpture. Waverly looked at the sculpture as she walked over to Nicole. It was somewhat round shaped and long, and it took Waverly a moment but then she realized it was a penguin.

“Aw, he’s so cute,” Waverly said as Nicole beamed proudly at it. 

“It’s definitely better than Pete’s,” Nicole said as they slid their arm over Waverly’s shoulders. Over at the next station, Pete’s ice block had been hacked down to some sort of jagged short thing and Stephanie looked pissed. Waverly giggled behind her hand and Stephanie shot her a deadly look. Nicole nodded in greeting towards her and Waverly used all her self control not to stick her tongue out at Stephanie. Instead she curled into NIcole’s side and steered them away from Stephanie.

“Want to come try my drink?” Waverly asked sweetly. 

Nicole set down the chainsaw and pulled the goggles off their eyes as they shook their head. “I’m sure it’s delicious, Waves, but I can’t after last night.”

“I’ll make you the virgin version, how about that?” Waverly said as she turned her head to kiss Nicole’s shoulder.

“Alright,” Nicole said as they leaned their hip against the counter of Waverly’s station. Waverly struggled a little with Nicole’s gloves on, but managed to ladle them a cup of the cider. Nicole took it between their hands, staring down at it for a moment. Waverly watched them out of the corner of her eye as she started to pour some bourbon into the drink.

“Waves, I know we still have to talk about stuff,” Nicole finally started, pulling down their sleeves much to Waverly’s chagrin. Their fingers tapped on the side of the cup that they were holding and worry furrowed their brow. “But are we...okay? Right now?”

Waverly turned away from her drink and turned towards Nicole. She ducked her head to make eye contact with them and smiled gently. 

“I’m okay, if you’re okay?” Waverly said. 

Nicole’s eyes lit up and the crease in her brow disappeared as a cautious smile twitched on the corner of their lips. “I’m okay.”

Waverly pecked the bottom of their jaw before going back to her drink. There was no point being upset until Nicole had a chance to explain everything, she figured. It wasn’t like she had made an effort to be completely open with them either. Nicole hummed in approval at the cider and Waverly smiled as she added more bourbon to her mixture. It would be okay. They would be okay.

***

It turned out Bunny’s husband was a professional ice sculptor, and while Waverly was sure the contest that day had been rigged, she still squeaked away with second place which kept her in the first spot so far with Bunny trailing closely behind. 

As soon as they could, Nicole pulled Waverly away from the competition and back towards the Jeep. Waverly slipped Nicole’s gloves off and put them into her pocket so that she could grab Nicole by the belt loops and bring them towards her as she leaned back against the car. They stumbled forward with a chuckle, long legs finding their place on either side of Waverly’s as they tried to get level with her.

“Hey,” Waverly said.

“Hey,” Nicole said. They pushed a strand of hair behind Waverly’s ear and she shivered at their touch. 

“I have to stop by Shorty’s for a second, wanna come with? Or do you have more mysterious tasks to do?” Waverly teased, remembering when Nicole went to the post office to drop off papers.

Nicole wrinkled her nose with a sarcastic smile. “You think you’re so funny.”

“I am funny,” Waverly said, kissing Nicole’s lips until they relaxed into a genuine smile. 

“Let’s go to Shorty’s. But can we take the long way?” Nicole laced their fingers with Waverly’s and kissed the back of her hand.

“Sure,” Waverly said, pulling them down the street. As they walked across the street, the only sound was their feet on the concrete until they got to the other side. Nicole squeezed her hand lightly.

‘Waves,” Nicole said. “You know I didn’t intend to-”

“Not now,” Waverly said, her stomach clenching. “We should do it at home- er-” She blushed and Nicole’s teasing smile just made her blush herder. “-we should _talk_ at home.”

“I just need you to know I wasn’t going to just leave you,” Nicole said, guilt on their features. “Maybe at first, before I thought you-...could like me.”

Waverly’s heart melted from the sweetness of it and relief unclenched her stomach. “I know.”

“Okay, good,” Nicole said as they kicked a rock and let it skitter across the pavement. They walked down the street. They got to the end of the block where they were across from Shorty’s and Nicole stopped abruptly, Waverly coming to a stop beside her. They pulled Waverly into the alley between the two buildings, just out of sight of the street, tugging her back so that her back was to Nicole’s front. 

Waverly frowned, leaning her head back against Nicole’s chest to look up at them but mostly getting a look up their nose. Nicole kissed the corner of her mouth before resting their chin on Waverly’s shoulder. She relaxed in Nicole’s arms and looked straight ahead at Shortys where Nicole was looking. 

“What are we doing?”

“I want to tell you a story,” Nicole chuckled. “Hopefully a romantic one.”

“Oh, story time, okay,” Waverly smiled, stomach flipping in excitement. 

“Cutie,” Nicole said, kissing Waverly’s shoulder lightly. “Okay. Well. About two years ago, I had realized I was non-binary and making some...changes.”

“Like your hair?” Waverly remembered fondly as she lifted her hand to run through the red strands at the back of Nicole’s head. 

“Like my hair-“

“I really liked your hair like that,” Waverly sighed as she remembered the locks shaved close to Nicole’s head and how much she had wanted to run her hands through it. 

“Good to know,” Nicole teased, squeezing Waverly lightly. “So I came to town to talk to my parents and it...didn’t go well. But it was fine because I also came here to talk to a pretty girl who was just graduating from college-”

“Online.”

“-same difference. And I knew I had feelings for her. I didn’t know if she’d ever feel the same about me but I had to try. So I got some flowers and paced in front of Shorty’s for much longer than I’m willing to admit, trying to get up the courage to go inside and talk to her. Then I saw her leaving-” Nicole took a deep breath, “-with Champ Hardy.”

Waverly’s heart hurt happily in her chest, an ache that felt like a muscle stretching for the first time in forever. 

“So, I did a dumb thing and packed up and took off again. But I just want you to know I’m in this. Okay? I’ve been waiting for this. For you.” 

If Nicole hadn’t been holding her up then, Waverly might have melted in their arms. Her knees felt weak and her pulse raced as Nicole held her even closer, their lips pressing a kiss among the hair behind her ear. 

“You haven’t been the only one waiting, you know,” Waverly said. “I’ve liked you for-” Waverly quickly shook her head. “Way too long.”

“I know,” Nicole whispered in her ear. 

Waverly blushed and turned to look Nicole in the face, but they took her by the hand and pulled her with them across the street. All Waverly could think about is how long Nicole had been aware of Waverly’s dumb little childhood crush. Though she guessed it wasn’t _that_ dumb if she got to kiss Nicole now. 

They got to Shorty’s and Waverly left Nicole at a booth in the back with a kiss, as she went into the storeroom to do inventory. She felt a bit like she was floating on a cloud, Nicole’s lovely words playing over and over again in her head. It certainly helped cover some of the nervous, doubtful buzzing going on in her head. It all seemed sort of impossible that the person she’d had a massive crush on since childhood came back into town and happened to like her now all grown up, but tomorrow was Christmas Eve, maybe it was a holiday miracle. She had read about them happening before in those human interest stories on the internet, why couldn’t it happen to her too?

She did what she had to do, signing some invoices and rearranging a few things. She grabbed a couple of bottles of things they were low on downstairs and walked them up the stairs. There was no sign of Nicole at their table but there was a half drunk glass of water there. She walked past Stephanie who was sitting on a stool and behind the bar, and before Waverly could wonder where they went, a tall beautiful woman with dark skin and dark hair walked up to the bar with a kind smile on her face. As her eyes focused on Waverly, she found herself blushing and her tongue felt thick. She couldn’t help it! She was beautiful! And Waverly wasn’t blind. 

“Hi,” the woman said.

Waverly couldn’t help the flirty giggle that left her lips as she said, “Hi. Welcome to Shorty’s, how can I help you?”

“I’m actually looking for someone,” the woman said with an apologetic smile. “I’m new in town and I figure the place to look for someone is usually the local watering hole.”

Waverly put her fists on her hips, happy to be helpful. “Well, I am really good with faces. _And_ I’ve lived here my whole life. So hit me.”

“Thank you,” the woman said, as rummaged in her purse and pulled out her phone. She was messing on it when Wynonna burst into the bar, red faced and looking winded. Waverly frowned at her from over the woman’s shoulder and Wynonna caught her eye. She began waving her arms frantically at Waverly like she was trying to signal something, but she just looked like she was having some kind of breakdown. Even Stephanie looked over at Wynonna before looking back at the scene at the bar. Waverly rolled her eyes and went back to the woman in front of her with a kind smile. 

“Do you recognize this person?” the woman said as she turned her phone to face Waverly. She blinked at it for a moment and frowned in confusion, a laugh still light on her lips. 

“Oh, that’s Nicole,” Waverly said, her voice lowering in confusion at the end of her sentence. 

“Oh, you know them!” the woman said, excited. “Do you know where I can find them?”

Just then, Nicole came out from the bathroom and Waverly spotted them over the woman’s other shoulder. They froze, eyes going wide as their face paled. Just their reaction made Waverly feel sick. She turned back to the woman, smile faltering for just a moment. 

“W-why do you need to find them? How do you know them?” she asked a little breathlessly. 

The woman smiled a little awkwardly. “I’m their wife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come yell at me on Twitter if you're so inclined.](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Here we are at the end! I hope you enjoy their little adventure. I'm working on something else now that I hope to be out soon but I'm also finishing my second book (yay) so. Also, this chapter is NSFW, proceed with caution.
> 
> Thanks, Lucky, for betaing and making me put a real ending on this <3

“Waves!”

Waverly felt like she was underwater. All sound was muffled and it felt hard to walk but her legs instinctually moved her out from behind the bar and towards the back exit.

“Waves! Wait!” 

Waverly slipped into the back hall that led to the bathroom and back door, her lungs burning and mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts at once. Her vision was narrowed to a point, sure she was going to pass out. She felt a gentle touch on her wrist and jerked it away like it had burned her. 

“Wait!” 

She ran face first into something firm and -

Soft. Vanilla. Nicole.

Waverly took a quick step back and crossed her arms, eyes looking furiously up at Nicole for a moment before it became so painful she had to look away. Their eyes were wide, pleading. Waverly couldn’t look at them, not when her heart felt like a bloody pulp in her chest. 

“Move please,” Waverly said stiffly. 

“Waves, I can explain-”

“Just please,” Waverly said. She could feel the hot press of tears behind her eyes and squeezed them shut. 

“Give me two seconds,” Nicole pleaded. Something in Waverly snapped. 

“Are you married?” she bit, as she looked sharply up at Nicole.

“I mean-”

“Yes or no. Are you married?”

Nicole’s shoulders dropped and Waverly watched the emotion play out in their eyes. They told her everything she needed to know before Nicole could even open their mouth. Waverly’s jaw quivered in anticipation.

“Yes.”

It was barely a whisper but the loudest sound in the whole bar. Waverly’s ear rang and her stomach dropped as she let out a sardonic chuckle. “Well, that’s that then.”

“Baby, just give me two minutes-”

“You’re married!” Waverly yelled, throwing her arms out to her sides in frustration. “You couldn’t mention that before you got in my bed? I don’t want to hear it, Nicole. You’re not who I thought you were.”

It looked like Nicole’s entire body slumped and Waverly quickly pushed past them and out the back door. The cold hit her suddenly, making her lungs constrict and her sobs stutter painfully in her chest. She sat down on an overturned ice bucket and folded her arms over her knees as she cried. 

She couldn’t tell if she was more embarrassed or hurt or if it was the perfect combination of the two that was making it feel like her chest was caving in. The cold shook her bones and her teeth clattered as she cried.

The back door creaked open and Waverly furiously wiped at her eyes and tightened her jaw. 

“Go away, Nicole.”

“Baby girl,” Wynonna’s voice came gently. Waverly quickly looked over her shoulder and gave Wynonna an impulsive, automatic blip of a smile before wiping at her cheeks again. She turned back around and she felt her coat being dropped on her shoulders. “As much as I appreciate the dramatics, you really shouldn’t run out without a jacket.”

“Thanks,” she whispered as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. 

Wynonna kicked a plastic crate over next to Waverly and flipped it over, sitting down on it with a sigh. Waverly could feel Wynonna’s eyes on her but stayed staring at her feet. She sniffled and looked over at Wynonna for a moment.

“You knew,” Waverly said. 

Wynonna’s silence said everything.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t really my place to tell,” Wynonna muttered. “Plus, to be fair, I didn’t know you two were boinking already. I thought I still had some time before I was subjected to that since you were both being such idiots about it.”

“We haven’t even-” Waverly bit her tongue as she painfully remembered all the things she wanted to do to Nicole, but hadn’t. It was a long list. A long list that didn’t seem like it would be shortened anytime soon. “You knew how I felt. You should have told me.”

“They asked me not to,” Wynonna sighed. “They wanted to tell you themself. What was I supposed to do?”

Waverly squeezed her eyes shut and felt a hot tear fall onto her boot. She bit the inside of her cheek as she held back her angry, bitter words. About how Wynonna always chose Nicole over her but _she_ was her sister, not them. But she knew they were just old, bitter words she’d chanted to herself when she was young and jealous and hurt. She wiped at her eyes again and Wynonna tentatively put her arm around her shoulders. Waverly leaned into her, sniffling and breathing in leather and a perfume she recognized as Rosita’s. 

Waverly could feel Wynonna’s voice rumbling in her chest as she muttered. “I’m going to kill that ginger-”

She pulled herself out of Wynonna’s chest and shook her head. “You don’t have to, but can you just take them home? I can’t sit in the car with them all the way to the Homestead. I have to go back in but I can’t look at their wife anymore.”

“Don’t worry, baby girl, you won’t have to see them. Either of them,” Wynonna said. “Shae will understand-” 

“Shae? Is that the wife?” Waverly was sure she looked terrible with puffy red cheeks and eyes swollen from crying while Nicole’s wife was probably sitting in there being absolutely flawless. It wasn’t fair. “Actually, nevermind, this isn’t her fault.”

“You wanna drink?” Wynonna asked.

“I’m just going to finish in Shorty’s and...go home,” Waverly said. She gave Wynonna a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Waves,” Wynonna said, kissing Waverly on the forehead before standing up. “Leave it to me. I got this.”

With that, Wynonna walked towards the back door she came out of and pulled it open so roughly it banged against the wall. Usually Waverly would reprimand her but she didn’t have the energy. So much for a Christmas miracle. 

***

If anything could be told by the way everyone in Shorty’s looked at Waverly as she walked back into the main area after cleaning herself up in a bathroom, the entire town now knew Nicole’s wife had come looking for them. And the town still thought that Waverly was also married to them. Great. 

Bunny was probably drafting up a letter to kick Waverly out of the competition right that second. She quickly finished up and as she was walking out from behind the bar, she nearly ran into Stephanie who had witnessed the entire thing. She had a smug grin on her face and Waverly felt sick.

“So, didn’t realize you were a sister wife,” she said haughtily. “Guess I _do_ have a chance.”

“Fuck off,” Waverly spat at her, shoving her way past Stephanie and hitting her with her shoulder as she did. Stephanie sputtered, clearly offended, but Waverly kept moving. She left the bar and got into her car, ready to just cry in the privacy of her own bed. Preferably while playing some Celine Dion.

She rolled her shoulders as she drove, pondering the shortest relationship she had ever been in. Even Bobby in third grade lasted a week until she saw him put the class hamster in his pocket. What she thought was going to be the best Christmas was quickly turning into the worst. Even counting the one where Willa cut the head off of her doll just hours after opening it under the tree. 

Whatever. It was probably for the best because she hadn’t had a chance to get Nicole anything for Christmas anyways.

The worst part of this whole situation is that she was still...unbelievably turned on. You’d think that having your heart broken publicly would really put a damper on the sex drive but apparently not. 

As soon as she got back to the Homestead, she stomped upstairs to her bedroom. Wynonna still wasn’t there and Waverly couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing. Was she with Nicole? Probably. What were they doing? Kissing their wife?

Waverly huffed as she threw herself on the bed, pulling her pillow to her chest and taking a deep breath, only to realize that the scent of vanilla still lingered on the cotton. Waverly threw the pillow off of the bed and curled into a ball, pulling the blanket up over her head. Her throat felt tight and her brain was just an endless barrage of images she didn’t want to see. Mostly Nicole with Shae. Kissing her, loving her, fucking her. Waverly groaned and let the tears flow. 

Christmas sucked.

***

Waverly tried to sleep off her sadness, but only got a couple of hours in before Wynonna knocked on her door for dinner. As if she had an appetite. Eventually Wynonna went away and when Waverly went to the restroom in the middle of the night there was a one third full whiskey bottle with a sloppy happy face scrawled on the side in Sharpie waiting for her outside the door. She picked it up and carried it to the bathroom with her, taking a swig as she went. By the time she got back to her room, the whisky was gone and she had a pleasant buzz so she left the bottle on the floor and crawled back into her blankets. 

She tossed and turned the rest of the night, even her tried and true method hadn’t worked: masturbation. In her mind, she pushed Nicole down onto the bed and straddled them, hands greedily groping at each other’s bodies. Waverly’s fingers worked quickly between her thighs and brought her to a shameful orgasm. As soon as the shocks faded from her body and she settled back into the sheets she blushed at the lingering images of her hand between Nicole’s thighs. She turned onto her side as her breathing calmed, wiping her soaked fingers on her sleep shorts. 

The slick between her thighs was still distracting and she couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. 

When the morning finally came, she dragged herself out of bed and into the shower to clean up. She went into her closet to get dressed, looking at her two most festive sweaters she’d saved for today, Christmas Eve, and Christmas tomorrow. Maybe she would feel better if she forced herself to be cheery. So she slipped on her light fluffy blue sweater that reminded her of a snowflake and pulled her hair into a loose braid as she went down the stairs. She made it to the kitchen just in time to watch a flame erupt from whatever Wynonna was cooking on the stove. 

“Shit!” she cursed. She began fanning the flames with a dish towel and Waverly rushed over, slamming the lid onto the flaming pan to smother the fire before it got worse. Wynonna sighed, shoulders slumping as she blew some hair from her face. “So much for trying to be nice for once.”

Waverly coughed and waved away the smoke that lingered in the air between them. “Well, thanks for trying I guess.” She frowned. Wynonna seemed twitchy and something smelled suspicious. “Wait, you never do things just to be nice-”

A scoff interrupted her. “That’s rude!”

She continued anyways, gasping as realization hit her. “You’re only nice like this when you feel guilty! Like last month when you hit my car with your truck and then made that really bad macaroni and cheese.”

“You said you liked that!”

“What are you guilty about, Wynonna?” Waverly said, hands on her hips. 

Wynonna’s eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at Waverly as she fidgeted nervously. Waverly had a very very bad feeling about this. 

“Uh-”

“Why are you guilty?”

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and they both froze. Wynonna quickly darted for the stairs. “Oops, heard my phone ring?”

Waverly sputtered and pointed to Wynonna’s phone on the kitchen table. “Your phone is right there! Wynonna!”

There came another knock and Waverly stomped over to the door, stomach in knots as she jumped to the most likely reason Wynonna felt guilty. Waverly took a deep breath before opening the door, only to see she was right. 

Nicole was standing a little further back from the door like they were afraid to be right up next to it when Waverly opened the door. They were wearing a soft looking black hoodie under a denim jacket that their hands were stuffed deep into as they looked at her nervously. Waverly’s heart betrayed her and fluttered into her throat, willing her to go hug Nicole, but she resisted.

“I told you to leave me alone,” Waverly said, even as she hesitated to close the door on them. She took a step back to finally close it but Nicole quickly stopped it with her forearm and a plea. 

“Waverly, please, just give me a chance to explain,” Nicole begged, their eyes wide and watery and - wow. Did they really have to make themself look like a kicked puppy when Waverly was trying to be mad at them. One last word stuttered from her lips and hung in the air between them. “Please.”

Waverly shut her eyes and let out a long sigh, her chin falling to her chest as tears hung on the tips of her eyelashes and sparkled like the fresh snow around them. 

“Fine.” Waverly stepped outside, closing the door gently behind her. “But you can’t come inside.”

A silly rule, but it made Waverly feel safer.

Nicole sighed in relief. “Thank you. I- I want to start by saying that Shae and I are getting divorced.”

Waverly looked back up at Nicole in shock. When their eyes met Nicole gave her a tentative, hopeful smile that made her heart flutter. She quickly looked away and tightened her arms across her chest. She wanted to ask if it was because of her, and it was like Nicole could read her mind. 

“We’ve been in the process. For a while. Those are actually the papers I mailed when I first got here,” Nicole said. “I never meant to lie to you-”

“Well you did,” Waverly said. 

“I didn’t lie I just-” Waverly watched the words die in Nicole’s throat and they recalibrated with a sigh. “I didn’t tell you, and I should have told you. I’m sorry. I really didn’t think you’d...care! Or that I’d even be in town long enough for it to matter.”

“The entire flight here I just had knots in my stomach because I knew I was going to see you and I thought I was over my feelings for you but clearly I wasn’t. I was so _scared_ to see you because I knew it would suck because I thought you just saw me as Wynonna’s weird friend.”

Nicole’s voice cracked and Waverly’s heart throbbed with her need to comfort them. She loosened the tight knot her arms had become in front of her chest and shivered as a gust of cold washed over them. 

“Are you cold?” Nicole asked, as they shrugged off their denim jacket and slid it over Waverly's shoulders. “Is that better?”

“I’m fine,” Waverly said as she pulled the jacket more around her, resisting the urge to snuggle her nose into it.

“Do you believe me?” Nicole said. “I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you when we had a second alone to breathe.”

“We had some time alone,” Waverly argued weakly, her resolve already crumbling like a soggy cookie. 

Nicole looked like they were holding back a smile and they shrugged one shoulder, stuffing both of their hands in the back pockets of their jeans as they spread out their legs so they were more eye level with Waverly. Waverly appreciated when they did that, but found it equally ridiculous and adorable. 

“We did. I guess you’re talking about yesterday morning,” Nicole admitted with a nod, leaning a little closer to Waverly and whispering, brows furrowing very seriously. “I was a little distracted in that moment. Mostly by my intense need to kiss you.”

Waverly blushed and bit back her own smile. “Are you just trying to sweet talk me?”

“Never,” Nicole smiled and their face sobered as they licked their lips. Waverly’s eyes were drawn to the strand of copper hair falling into their eyes for a moment before long fingers pushed it away. “I just want your forgiveness. Then I can decide if I’ll sweet talk you or not.”

It fell silent between them for a moment and Waverly felt them leaning towards each other, two moths to an invisible flame between them. Waverly’s fingers pulled on a loose string in the pocket of Nicole’s jacket as their lips hovered close to each other. She could feel Nicole’s breath on her lips and held back a shiver. Pulling her hand out of the warm place in the pocket, Waverly gently brushed her fingers against Nicole’s jaw. She watched with a lovestruck smile as Nicole’s eyes fluttered closed, long lashes brushing along their cheek as they leaned just barely into Waverly’s hand. 

Her fingers traced a light path down Nicole’s throat and to the base, fingers dipping into the hollow for a moment before they moved to cup the side of Nicole’s neck. Ever so lightly, she brushed her lips over Nicole’s and whispered, “I forgive you.”

Nicole let out a breath and their lips curled into a small smile.

“I’m sorry too,” Waverly said, before placing a soft kiss on their lips. “For shutting you out.”

Waverly pressed her lips fully against Nicole’s and their hand on her lower back pulled her completely against their front. They fully wrapped their arms around Waverly and straightened up, pulling Waverly onto her tiptoes. 

The warmth in Waverly’s chest was almost unbearable and the hand that wasn’t on Nicole’s neck reached for their hair, pulling copper strands between her fingers. 

Nicole moaned and Waverly felt the vibration between her thighs making her suddenly aware of the seam of her pants against her. Their tongues met and Waverly let out the softest whimper as she pulled Nicole even closer. 

She wanted Nicole to tell her all about Shae. When they met her, where they met her, why they got _married_ , but also kissing them was really really nice. Yeah, she saw how they had gotten into this mess. 

“So wait,” Nicole pulled away and Waverly chased their lips to peck them one last time. “Does this mean you’re my girlfriend?”

Waverly flushed and smiled up at them. “Do you want me to be?”

“Most definitely,” Nicole said, eyes darting back down to Waverly’s lips. “I want you any way you’ll have me, Waverly Earp.”

Waverly swallowed the end of Nicole’s sentence with a kiss, thinking of all the ways she wanted to have Nicole when a sharp cold feeling hit the side of her face and she gasped, jumping away from Nicole. 

There were the remnants of what looked like a snowball on the side of Nicole’s face and on their shoulder. They blinked in shock for a moment before turning sharply towards where the snow had come from. 

“Earp!”

Waverly followed their gaze and saw Wynonna standing off to the side of the porch with an armful of snowballs and a big shiteating grin. 

“I see you two made up,” she said. 

“I’m gonna kill you,” Nicole said through gritted teeth, brushing the snow off their shoulder and face. 

“I’d like to see you try,” Wynonna snorted. They were still for a moment before Wynonna lobbed another snowball at Nicole, hitting them directly in the face. Nicole took off after her, leaping over the porch rail to catch Wynonna. Waverly stood there, blinking at the spot where her girlfriend-

No. Not girlfriend. 

“Balls,” Waverly whispered to herself as she looked over to the side of the house where Nicole was chasing after Wynonna, who was throwing snowballs over her shoulder. She wished Nicole would have cleared up okay titles before they went running after Wynonna. Waverly winced as Nicole leapt and tackled Wynonna to the ground, the only sound Wynonna’s over dramatic scream. She ran to the side of the porch, leaning on the rail just in time to see Wynonna smash a handful of snow against the side of Nicole’s skull and throw them off of her.

Rolling her eyes, Waverly ran down the porch and yelled. “Stop, you two!”

A terrible mistake since Nicole immediately stood up and looked over at Waverly, and Wynonna took it as her opportunity to strike. She threw another snowball at the back of Nicole’s head but they dodged just in time and instead it sailed over and hit Waverly in the face.

“That’s what you get for sleeping with the enemy!” Wynonna yelled. 

Nicole made another quick snowball and threw it at Wynonna while Waverly sputtered and brushed the snowball remnants off of her face. She began packing some snowballs while she watched Nicole get Wynonna right in the neck. Wynonna ducked behind a tree and started throwing snowballs at an alarming rate. 

Waverly got distracted when an old pink car about the size of a boat drove onto the property. She instantly recognized it as Rosita’s car and Wynonna used the distraction to hit her with another snowball at the back of her neck. She frowned and looked back over at Wynonna just as she sprinted out from behind the tree and towards Rosita’s car.

“Bye, losers!” Wynonna said as she threw the car door open and threw herself inside. Muffled through the window, she said, “Shorty’s tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. Rosita’s cooking, fucking be there. Bye!”

Rosita waved at them happily through the window and took off. She called as she drove away, “See you tonight!”

Waverly watched them drive away and Nicole sighed, “I’m going to get her.”

She shivered and realized her clothes were soaked with cold snow and now that she wasn’t moving around anymore, she was painfully aware of it.

“You cold, baby?” Nicole said, pulling Waverly into their arms. Her cheek collided with Nicole’s soaked and cold sweatshirt and she gently pushed them away.

“Yeah, but you’re not helping,” she giggled, tugging on Nicole’s sweatshirt.

Nicole looked down at themself, a mischievous look passing over their face. “Guess it’s time to go inside. Unless-”

They ducked and lunged forward, clearly with the intent of throwing Waverly over their shoulder. Years of experience with this prepared Waverly and she leapt out of the way, dodging Nicole’s long arms and causing them to stumble forward and fall back into the snow. Waverly let out a bark of a laugh as Nicole lunged for her leg. She tried to jump away again but ended up tripping herself and falling backwards. Nicole maneuvered themself quickly and Waverly ended up landing on top of them instead of the snow.

Nicole let out a grunt as the air was forced from their lungs by Waverly’s body and she gasped, taking Nicole’s face in both of her hands. 

“Are you okay?” Waverly asked.

Nicole smiled, both dimples popping. “Yeah, ‘specially considering this was my fault.” Their hands moved to Waverly’s hips and squeezed. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Waverly felt herself blush and she kissed Nicole gently, feeling the fire that had been snuffed out by Wynonna’s first snowball come roaring back in the pit of her stomach. Especially with Nicole under her. Waverly could feel their body, soft and yet somehow firm under her, and had flashbacks to the elaborate fantasies she’d had just the night before. 

A piece of snow from her hair slipped into the back of her shirt and Waverly shivered again, sitting up on top of Nicole. Their cheeks were flushed from more than the cold, the tip of their nose rosy and sweet looking. 

“While in theory, making out in the snow is romantic, I’m _very_ cold,” she said, her teeth chattering just in time to prove her point. 

Nicole chuckled and sat up, kissing Waverly’s cheek as they said, “Come on, baby, let’s get you warmed up.”

Waverly stood up and offered Nicole her hand. They took it and pulled Waverly back down into the snow again. She squeaked in surprise and kneed Nicole in the kidney on her way down. Nicole groaned but they kissed the side of Waverly's face over and over. 

“You’re rude!”

“Oh come on, I just wanted to kiss you again-“

Waverly pushed herself off of Nicole, smashing them into the snow and she stuck her tongue out at them playfully. “I’m locking you out.”

“What?” Nicole sat up and Waverly ran for the back door of the Homestead. Nicole shot up behind her and ran after her. Waverly couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in her throat as she felt Nicole gaining on her. Quickly, she slipped into the back door, trying to shut it quickly but Nicole leaned their weight on it, shoving their head into the crack. 

“Hey!”

“Did you really think you could beat me?” Nicole teased, hand flat on the door and preventing Waverly from closing it. She cursed how strong they were. “Come on, Waves, let me in.”

Waverly smirked and got as close to Nicole as she could by fitting herself into the open space. “What will you give me if I do?”

Nicole’s eyebrow raised into their hairline as they smirked. “Mm, I can think of a few things I’d give you.”

Their hand snuck through the space and landed on Waverly’s hip as their eyes scanned over her body. She pulled her lip between her teeth and let Nicole gently push their way into the house. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, the energy changed. Nicole’s eyes darkened and Waverly felt her blood rush between her thighs as their bodies collided. Nicole’s hand cupped Waverly’s jaw as they pushed the rest of the way into the house, their lips instantly finding each other’s. 

Waverly hummed, desperate hands slipping under Nicole’s soaked sweatshirt and pushing it over their head. Their lips only disconnected for long enough to get the clothing over their head and onto the floor. Waverly felt the edge of the washer on her back and began to undo the buttons of Nicole’s flannel, only to reveal an undershirt under that. She growled in frustration.

“How many _layers_ do you _wear_?” she pulled away from Nicole’s lips just long enough to complain. 

They chuckled and shrugged. “I’m very queer.”

Waverly grabbed the open top of the flannel and yanked, sending plastic buttons skittering across the mudroom floor and ricocheting off of the wall. “I’ll fix it for you later.”

“That was so sexy,” Nicole breathed as they leaned forward and kissed Waverly again, tongue teasing along the roof of her mouth. Waverly slipped her hands under Nicole’s shirt and they instantly hissed and jumped back, leaving Waverly feeling cold as their body heat left her. “Your hands are _freezing_.”

Waverly raised her eyebrow at Nicole as she slipped her own soaked sweater over her head and let it fall to the floor with a wet ‘slap’. Nicole’s eyes drifted down to her torso, very obviously on her breasts. Waverly kept her smirk as she leaned back against the washer and slowly undid the top button of her pants. Nicole’s eyes followed the movement, mouth going slack and Waverly continued, slowly pulling down her zipper too.

“I guess I’ll just have to take care of myself then,” Waverly sighed.

Nicole’s eyes darted back up to Waverly’s face, a mix of disbelief and lust and just some good gay panic as Waverly slipped her hand into the front of her pants and cupped herself over her underwear. Fuck, her hands _were_ cold. She disguised her shiver of chill as one of want, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. 

A guttural growl pulled from Nicole’s throat as they surged forward again and pressed their long body into Waverly’s, trapping her hand between them in her jeans. She swallowed thickly just as Nicole’s lips covered her own. Moaning into their mouth, Waverly let them wrap their long fingers around her wrist and pull her hand from her pants. Nicole’s hands smoothed up Waverly’s waist and around her ribs. Her thumbs brushed over Waverly’s clothed breasts and her nipples tightened even more under their touch as their mouth moved down Waverly’s jaw. 

They nibbled on the hinge of her jaw as they whispered, “While it would be unbelievably sexy to let you continue, I’d be too jealous.”

They kissed behind her ear and Waverly let out a harsh breath, pulling her hand free and tangling one hand in their hair. Nicole’s hands moved behind Waverly’s back and quickly undid her bra. Waverly shrugged the offending item off of her shoulders and down her arms before her fingers wove back into Nicole’s hair. 

Nicole wasted no time ducking their head down and taking Waverly’s nipple into her mouth. Even through the pleasure Waverly just thought how unfair it was that Nicole was still wearing their shirt. Her hand clawed at the back of Nicole’s shirt, pulling the fabric up towards their head as their teeth bit lightly down on her nipple and shot a hot bolt of pleasure between her thighs. 

Waverly pulled the shirt over their head to reveal a sports bra, not a binder like they were wearing the other day. Waverly’s hands ran up along their ribs but she refrained from going any further.

“Is it okay if-?” She bit back a moan as Nicole curled their tongue around her other nipple. “Can I touch?”

Nicole’s lips curled into a smile against Waverly’s flesh and they released the nipple with a ‘pop’, smiling at Waverly. They nodded and kissed Waverly sweetly, a sharp contrast to the energy around them that felt like they might catch fire at any moment. 

“You can touch, baby,” Nicole said. “And there’s no names for body parts I don’t like either. Thank you for asking.”

Waverly hummed and cupped Nicole’s breasts over their bra. “Thank you and same,” she said just as Nicole slipped their hand into the front of her pants. 

Nicole swallowed her moan as their lips covered hers, their hand squeezing her center over her underwear. They stuck uncomfortably to her and her soaked jeans felt restricting. With a frustrated whine Waverly used one hand to try and push down her jeans. Nicole chuckled and tugged them roughly down Waverly’s thighs, her breath catching in her throat. 

“Eager?”

“Shut up,” Waverly growled as she pulled Nicole’s face back down to her own and kissed them deeply. Nicole moaned as they pressed their fingers to the damp spot on the crotch of her underwear, making Waverly spread her legs unabashedly. Her fingers twisted copper strands between her fingers, other other hand gripping the back of Nicole’s neck and keeping them as close as possible.

“Baby,” Nicole whispered reverently, dark brow furrowing as they nuzzled Waverly’s nose, their lips just brushing together like they were afraid to be apart for just a second. Nicole’s other hand gripped the corner of the washer behind Waverly, their leg slotting between her thighs and pressing their hand harder into her. 

“Touch me,” Waverly begged, sucking on Nicole’s bottom lip as she ground down into their fingers. 

Thankfully Nicole didn’t need to be told twice. They slid their middle finger under the front of her underwear, slowly pushing through thick curls and down towards wet heat. Waverly let out an embarrassing moan as Nicole’s finger brushed over her swollen clit. They pulled the wet material away from her center and she shivered.

The moment before Nicole finally touched her felt like it was stretched out into hours. She could hear Nicole’s breath just before their lips overtook hers again, she could feel every atom of their skin touching in hyperfocus, vanilla strong in her nose. And every nerve felt like it stood on end, waiting for Nicole to just finally _finally_ touch her how she needed, so when their finger slipped purposefully through soaked folds, Waverly’s back bowed towards them.

Waverly gripped onto Nicole like the last leaf being shaken off a branch, ready to blow away at any moment. She thought about all the moments she’d dreamed of this through the years. From her sweaty, sordid teenage fantasies to more recent thoughts she’d had about them. The one thing that hadn’t changed through all the years was how Nicole looked at her, with so much affection it seeped into Waverly’s lungs and choked her. Every touch, every kiss, felt better than anything Waverly could have imagined, but the way that they looked at her was nothing like she could even dream of.

Nicole groaned and Waverly tried to spread her legs apart more but her pants were still stuck around her ankles and she whimpered at the restriction. 

“Ssh, baby,” Nicole smirked, clearly enjoying this all too much. “I got you.”

Their long finger dipped briefly into Waverly’s entrance and she pressed her hips closer, trying to take them deeper, but as soon as it was there it was gone. Their finger deliberately moving back up towards her clit, wet finger circling slowly. Waverly sighed in relief, her forehead falling to Nicole’s shoulder. They kissed all along the side of her head, down the side of her neck and settling at the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. A second finger joined the first, circles getting tighter as Waverly mewled and moved her hips as well as she could with Nicole’s long body pressing her back into the washer and her legs trapped in her pants. 

Nicole bit down on the flesh and Waverly gasped, melting into a pool of pleasure when they soothed the spot with their tongue and sucked lightly.

“Fuck,” Waverly said. She dug her blunt nails into the back of Nicole’s neck and gave into the feeling. It was hard to imagine she was freezing just moments before when it felt like fire was pumping through her veins and radiating between her thighs with each ministration of Nicole’s hand. Waverly felt it building deep in her belly, an embarrassingly fast orgasm. 

She tugged on Nicole’s hair and brought their faces close again. Nicole kissed her softly as they whispered, “Waves, let me watch you come for me.”

Nicole’s voice, deep and husky, and the wet sound of their fingers stroking her clit, were more than enough to send Waverly head first into her orgasm. She gasped, nails digging harshly into pale skin and her teeth nipping a little too hard at Nicole’s lip. But the wave of pleasure crashed over her and all she saw were dark pools of warm brown, all she could feel was Nicole’s body against her own and their breath on her lips. 

As she came down, she became aware of Nicole dropping soft kisses along her jaw. Waverly turned her head to kiss their lips and they sighed. 

“That was-“

“Take me upstairs,” Waverly interrupted. Nicole’s hands were on her waist and she could feel her own slick from Nicole’s fingers on her skin. The orgasm just left her wanting more and she kicked her pants away from her legs. 

Nicole’s cocky smirk widened as they looked down at Waverly. “Gladly.”

They squatted down, hooked their hands behind Waverly’s knees and lifted her so her legs wrapped around their hips. Enamored and horny, Waverly smiled as she kissed the shell of Nicole’s ear. Nicole carried Waverly up the stairs and they closed the door behind them, sliding the love seat in front of the door to avoid interruption. 

***

Waverly hummed to herself happily as she took the apple slices off of the cutting tray and slid them into the bowl she had. She’d thrown whatever berries and other fruit remnants she had in the fridge. Nicole was still sleeping upstairs after hours of what Waverly was sure was the best, sweetest sex of her life. They were sleeping like a rock when she had left, slipping on her silky flower robe before heading downstairs. 

Looking back it was a little too cold for just the robe when they hadn’t built a fire before heading upstairs, but it wasn’t a worry when they were tangled up in each other. 

She picked up the bowl and went back upstairs, but not before grabbing Nicole’s backpack to take up to them. She didn’t want to give them any reason to leave her bed. Closing the bedroom door behind her, she gazed at Nicole’s sleeping form. They were on their stomach, ass barely covered with a sheet, arms folded under the pillow and cheek squished into the pillow, puckering their lips. Dropping Nicole’s backpack by the bed, Waverly climbed onto the mattress with her knees on either side of their hips. 

Waverly rocked a little on Nicole’s hips, trying to wake them up. She had an agenda today and sleep was not part of it. 

Nicole mumbled a little and Waverly bent down to kiss their shoulder blade. “Wake up, baby,” Waverly whispered. Nicole groaned as they stretched their arms to the sides. Waverly just watched the lean muscle move under pale skin as she popped a raspberry into her mouth. “I brought snacks.”

That was enough to peak Nicole’s interest and they started to turn over. Waverly sat up a little so they could move before settling back on their hips as they looked up at her. 

“Snacks?” Nicole’s eyes darted down to where Waverly sat astride them, as their hands settled on her hips. Waverly blushed and pretended to be offended as she pressed a berry to Nicole’s mouth. 

“Hush, you perv,” she said, even as she leaned down to kiss Nicole sweetly, tasting the raspberry on their lips. She smiled as she felt Nicole’s lazy fingers catch the tie on her robe and tug it as she sat up. The silk fell open a little and Waverly felt her whole body flush under Nicole’s gaze. 

She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to keep her task at hand in her mind. “We should talk,” Waverly said softly. 

Nicole propped themself up on their elbows and Waverly’s eyes couldn’t help but fall to their breasts. 

“You’re right,” Nicole said. “But you’re being very distracting right now.”

Waverly smirked and purposefully pressed her hips down into Nicole for a moment. “Whatever could you mean.”

There was the smallest glint of something in their eyes just as they quickly sat up and flipped Waverly back onto the bed, springs protesting under them. Waverly had somehow managed to keep the bowl upright without spilling anything. She looked up at Nicole and said incredulously, “What if I had spilled that?”

“I would have eaten it off of you,” Nicole practically purred as they leaned down to kiss her. Waverly sighed, and relaxed back into the mattress for a moment, the need to talk forgotten. But Nicole just pecked her lips once more and climbed off of her. 

“Where are you going?” Waverly protested, balancing the bowl on her stomach. Nicole pulled some sweatpants and a t-shirt out of their backpack and quickly put them on. 

“We have to talk, but I have to use the bathroom first.”

“You don’t have to get dressed yet.”

“I’m not having this conversation naked. And Wynonna might be home”

“I’m naked.”

“You have your robe thing,” Nicole said as they walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Waverly just sighed, fixing her robe and sitting up so she wouldn’t let herself get any ideas when Nicole came back. Even if she desperately wanted to spread herself out for them when they walked back through the door. Instead she leaned back against the headboard and waited for Nicole to sit beside her. And when they did, she turned and draped her legs over their lap. 

“So how’s that divorce coming?” Waverly said. It sounded much easier out in the air than it felt in her heart. But she didn’t want Nicole to know how her heart fluttered with the fear of rejection once again. 

Nicole managed a chuckle and reached into Waverly’s bowl for a slice of apple. “Official. That’s...actually why she was here. I fucked up one of the papers and was sending the wrong ones. She was-“ Nicole gestured vaguely. “-around.”

“Do we like her?” Waverly asked. Really all she wanted to know is if Nicole liked her better than Shae. 

“Shae is great as a friend, we both quickly discovered,” Nicole chuckled. “It was a perfect combination of bad events. First I was kind of at the awkward plateau of my gender discovery, which is hard to describe. Then I came home because my mom was sick and they were terrible as usual. And then I saw you and Champ and that was the cherry on top but. I thought they’d get over the whole me not going to college thing argument when one of them was literally dying but I guess not-“

Nicole angrily bit an apple slice in half, their eyes staring blankly at the mattress for a moment before they blinked themself out of it and looked back at Waverly. 

“Parents,” Waverly sighed sympathetically. Nicole kissed the end of her nose and shrugged. 

“So I went to Vegas and met Shae rock climbing. Kinda did the whole stereotypical Vegas thing and committed way too hard to our mistake,” Nicole said. “I did love her, I know that. I just don’t think our love was meant to be _that_ kinda love. You know?”

“What kind?” Waverly asked as she leaned her chin against Nicole’s shoulder. 

“The marriage forever kind of love,” Nicole said. 

“Then what kind of love was it?”

“I don’t know, maybe the...let’s love each other while we hurt kind of love,” Nicole mumbled. “She’d just gone through some stuff too and I think we were both just looking for new places to put our love. Someone to love us back for a little bit. And we did-“ Nicole shrugged again with a sad smile. “-and then we didn’t. We both knew it. It’s fine, we’re friends.”

“Good,” Waverly said as she took a particularly hard bite into a berry. 

“Definitely not the forever kind of love,” Nicole said as they nuzzled their nose to Waverlys, holding back just enough to keep Waverly comfortable but telling her everything she needed to know. They could be the forever kind of love. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. Waverly’s heart thumped at the possibility. She kissed them quickly, not wanting to get distracted. 

“Are you staying in town then?” Waverly asked. 

“As long as you don’t mind me crashing on your couch until I find my own place,” Nicole said. “I figured I could live off of the money from my parent’s place until I find a job.”

Waverly pretended to be put out. “I suppose you can stay, if,” she smirked up at Nicole. “I’ll think of a way you can repay me.”

Nicole chuckled and cupped Waverly’s cheek as they leaned down to kiss her. “I’m sure you will, baby.”

***

That night they went to Shorty’s for Christmas Eve and gorged themselves on amazing food. Wynonna made a sly innuendo every time she saw Nicole go over for seconds about burning calories or whatever, but Waverly was too happy and satisfied to care. She was so happy that she even asked Nicole to invite Shae since she was still in town. Nicole was right, she was kind of awesome, even if she was a tall, beautiful lady doctor that used to be married to Nicole. 

After several drinks by the end of the night, Shae, Wynonna and Rosita all looked very close and comfy in a corner booth. 

The next day Waverly kissed along Nicole’s shoulder to wake them up. Nicole stirred awake, brows furrowing as they mumbled, “What time is it?”

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Waverly whispered.

“Merry Christmas,” Nicole smiled, leaning forward and kissing Waverly softly. 

“We gotta go,” Waverly said. “Last contest of the competition is today.”

“Blow it off,” Nicole grumbled, smile morphing into a more teasing one. “Stay in bed today.”

“You know I wish we could,” Waverly held Nicole’s face in her hand, squishing their lips together like a fish and kissing them. “Come on.”

After some prodding and bribing, Waverly got Nicole up and out of the house to get to the community center in time. There was a gaudy nativity scene set up at the door and they both groaned at the poorly painted baby Jesus’ face. 

Waverly felt the nerves in her stomach firing, telling her to leave like it knew something bad was about to happen. She stopped abruptly and Nicole ran into her back with a huff. Waverly turned around, looking up into their stunned face with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Nicole frowned and shook their head. “For what?”

“For making you do this,” Waverly pointed over her shoulder towards the doors protecting them from Bunny and her flock of ignorant friends. “They’re terrible and constantly misgendering you and I just _made_ you do this-

“Hey, wait a second,” Nicole chuckled. “You didn’t _make_ me do anything. “I’m in-” Their cheeks lit brightly before they started over. “I would do anything for you, Waves. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was when you asked. I agreed to be your fake spouse so that I could spend time with you. The misgendering sucks but you make me feel good by jumping in when you can.” Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know, most people don’t do that and it’s exhausting constantly defending myself, so. Thank you. And, it’s fine. I’m enjoying watching you kick Bunny’s ass anyway.”

Waverly sighed. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Nicole said as they leaned down to kiss Waverly’s forehead. “But, for the record, I’d rather not do this again.”

“Noted,” Waverly pecked Nicole’s lips before turning and going into the auditorium. 

It felt like all eyes turned on them as soon as they walked in, Waverly swore she could hear a needle drop in the corner of the room. Stephanie looked especially smug about something so she could only imagine what the discussion had been before they got here.

As if on cue, Bunny popped out of a side room, wearing a garish Christmas sweater. Her fur lined, bright green Christmas wedges smacked against the cheap sport court of the auditorium, cheeks red and eyes narrowed at them. Waverly stood a little straighter and Nicole’s hand rested on the small of her back. By the time Bunny got to them, she looked out of breath.

“Waverly Earp,” Bunny started, smile on her face as she tried to subtly catch her breath. “I’m afraid you must leave.”

Waverly just tried to match the size of Bunny’s smile. “Why is that?”

“Well, as I’m sure you’ve heard,” Bunny gave Waverly the most fake sympathetic smile she’d ever seen. “It would appear that your-” she made a vague noise and gestured towards Nicole. “-was previously married which means she couldn’t legally be married to you at the same time. And since the rules of this Centennial Celebration of the Purgatory Mrs. Christmas Competition are that you must be married, you’re disqualified.”

“Everyone knows you’re a homewrecking skank, Waverly Earp!” Stephanie yelled from across the auditorium. 

Waverly bit back, “You’re one to talk, Stephanie!” She turned back to Bunny, mind suddenly made up for her. “You know what, Bunny, fine. I cared enough to lie about being married at first but I don’t care anymore. I don’t care about your stupid, sexist competition that is _literally_ from the past, and I certainly don’t care what you or anyone else in this stupid room thinks about me or my-” She considered for a second. “-person.”

She looked back at Nicole who was practically beaming. “I like that.”

Waverly winked at them and turned back to Bunny who was still blinking at her in shock. “Bunny, I used to want to beat you because I couldn’t stand you. But now, I don’t give enough shits about your terrible, homophobic, ignorant ass to even put in the effort to beat you.” Waverly smirked as Bunny choked on her words, red cheeks going almost purple with rage. “So I would say have a happy holiday, but I hope it sucks balls.”

Nicole let out a loud bark of a laugh and Bunny just sputtered, “It’s Merry _Christ_ mas.”

“That’s not my wife!” Nicole whooped as Waverly turned with one last glance at Bunny and headed back towards the doors. As soon as they were out of the auditorium, Nicole scooped Waverly into their arms and spun her for a second. She held on to the front of their coat with a happy laugh as they came to a stop. “That was so hot.”

“Me telling off Bunny?” Waverly asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” Nicole said as they kissed her quickly. “Does this mean we can go back to the Homestead?”

“Tea first. Then we should find Wynonna,” Waverly frowned. “Do you know where she is?”

Nicole set Waverly down. “Uh, last I checked, her and Rosita were going back to Shae’s hotel room.”

“Oh jeez.”

“Yeah.”

“That means we have the house to ourselves then,” Waverly said with a smirk, fingers lightly running along the collar of Nicole’s shirt. “It would be a shame to let that go to waste.”

“I’ll drive,” Nicole said, quickly pecking Waverly’s lips before pulling her out towards the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter if you're so inclined. Also if you want to see where I posted the NSFW sequel one shot to this. <3


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